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MAURUSJOKAI 


BLACK     DIAMONDS 


B  novel 


TRANSLATED    BY 

FRANCES    A.   GERARD 


NKW     YORK     AND     LONDON 
HARPER    &    BROTHERS    PUBLISHERS 

1S98 


^  0-4'  (JiJrcbLLy^ 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Harpek  &  Brother,'- 

All  rights  reserved. 


CONTENTS 


CHAI'TEK  PAGE 

I.  A  Black  Place ] 

II.  The  Slave  of  the  Black  Diamonds    ....  ii 

III.  The  iMAN-E.\TER 27 

IV.  A  Modern  Alchemist.     ...          35 

V.  The  Doctor 50 

VI.  Countess  Theudelinde 63 

VII.  The  Countess's  Album 79 

VIII.  The  Exorcist 95 

IX.  "An  Obstina'ie  Fellow  "    ......  132 

X.  The  Higher  Mathematics 146 

XI.  Soirees  Amalgamantes 155 

XII.  Ritter  Magnet .  166 

XIII.  Only  a  Trifle 189 

XIV.  Thirty-three  I'art.^ 207 

XV.  Two  Points , 225 

X\  1.  Good-bye 232 

XVn.  The  Last  Rehearsal 245 

XVIII.  Financial  Wisdom 253 

XIX.  Filthy  Lucre 259 

XX.  No,  Eveline  ! .     .  278 

XXI.  Respect  for  Halina  Cloth 291 

XXII.  Two  Suppliants. 301 


iv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXin.   Financial  Intrigue 312 

XXIV.  The  Bondavara  Railway  .          .               .     .•  317 

XXV.  The  Poor  Dkau  Prince 324 

XXVI.   Dies  1km 327 

XXVII.   From  the  Sublime  to  the  Ridiculous    .  348 

XXVIII.  Two  Children 352 

XXIX.   I.mmaculate  ...          ...          ....  357 

XXX.   Man  and  Wife 365 

XXXI.   Eva  Dirkmai 373 

XXXII.  Crushed -378 

XXXIII.  Charcoai 387 

XXXIV.  Csanta's  Las  1    Will  and  Testament  .     .     .  395 

XXXV.  The  Ground  Hurfs  under  His  Feet.     .     .  401 

XXXVl.  Child's  Play .406 

XXXVII.   Eureka 411 

XXXVIII.  At  Par 419 

XXXIX.  The  Underground  World.     .               .          .  428 

XL.  Angela  is  Even  with  Ivan 442 

XLI.  How  Ivan  Mourned 450 

XLII.  EviLA ...  453 

XLIII.  The  Diamond  Remained  always  a  Diamond  459 


BLACK   DIAMONDS 


BLACK   DIAMONDS 


CIIArTER  I 
A     BLACK     PLACE 

We  are  in  the  depths  of  an  underground  cavern.  It 
is  bad  enouirh  to  be  underjiround,  but  here  \ve  are  all 
enveloped  in  black  as  well :  the  ceiling  is  black,  so  are 
the  walls  ;  they  are  made  of  blocks  of  coal.  The  floor 
is  one  great  black  looking-glass.  It  is  a  sort  of  pond, 
polished  as  steel.  Over  this  polished  surface  glistens 
the  reflection  of  a  solitary  light,  the  light  of  a  safety- 
lamp  shining  through  a  wire  net. 

A  man  guides  himself  over  the  pond  in  a  narrow 
boat.  By  the  doubtful  light  of  the  lamp  he  sees  high 
pillars,  which  rise  out  of  the  depths  below  and  reach  to 
the  very  roof  of  the  cavern — pillars  slender,  like  the 
columns  of  a  ]\Ioorish  palace.  These  pillars  are  half 
white  and  half  black;  up  to  a  certain  point  only  are 
they  coal  black,  beyond  that  they  are  light  in  color. 

What  are  these  pillars  ? 

They  are  the  stems  of  pines  and  palm-trees.  These 
gigantic  stems  are  quite  at  home  in  the  layers  over  the 
coal-mine,  but  how  have  they  descended  here  ?  They 
belong  to  another  world — the  world  of  light  and  air. 


2  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  coal  layers  overhead  sometimes  take  fire  of  them- 
selves, and  the  fire,  being  intense,  has  loosened  the  hold 
of  these  giants  and  sent  them  below. 

Coal-pits  kindle  of  themselves  often,  as  every  novice 
knows,  but  in  this  case  who  extinguished  the  flames? 
That  is  the  question. 

The  solitary  occupant  of  the  rudely  shaped  boat  or 
canoe  goes  restlessly  here  and  there,  up  and  down.  He 
is  a  man  of  about  thirty  years,  with  a  pale  face  and  a 
dark  beard.  His  firmly  closed  lips  give  him  an  expres- 
sion of  earnestness,  or  strong,  decided  will ;  while  his 
forehead,  which  is  broad,  with  large  bumps  over  the  eyes, 
shows  that  he  is  a  deep  thinker.  His  head  is  uncovered, 
for  here  in  this  vault  the  air  is  heavy,  and  his  curly 
black  hair  is  in  thick  masses,  so  that  he  needs  no  cover- 
ing. 

What  is  he  doing  here  ? 

He  drives  his  boat  over  the  black  looking-glass  of  the 
lake;  round  and  round  he  goes,  searching  the  black 
walls  with  anxiety,  his  lamp  raised  in  his  disengaged 
hand.  Does  he  imagine  that  a  secret  is  hidden  there  ? 
Does  he  think  that  by  touching  a  spring,  and  saying 
"Open  Sesame,"  the  treasure  hidden  there  for  hundreds 
of  years  will  spring  forth  ? 

In  truth,  he  does  find  treasures.  Here  and  there 
from  the  black  wall — weakly  constructed  in  some  places 
by  Nature's  hand — a  piece  of  stone  loosens  itself — upon 
it  the  impression  of  a  leaf  belonging  to  a  long-ago-ex- 
tinct species.  A  wonderful  treasure  this !  In  other 
places  he  comes  upon  unknown  crystals,  to  which 
science  has  not  as  yet  given  a  name  ;  or  upon  a  new 
conglomeration  of  different  quartz,  metal,  and  stone — a 
silent  testimony  to  a  convulsion  of  Nature  before  this 
world  was.     All  these  witnesses  speak. 


A    BLACK    PLACE  3 

^The  pillars,  too;  over  them  the  water  of  the  pond 
has  by  degrees  formed  a  crustation  of  crystals,  small,  but 
visible  even  without  a  glass.  This,  too,  gives  testimony. 
The  pond  is  in  itself  wonderful.  It  has  ebb  and 
flow :  twice  in  the  day  it  empties  itself ;  twice  in  the 
day  it  fills.  The  water  rushes  in  leaps  and  bounds, 
joyously,  tumultuousl}^,  into  this  dark,  sullen  vault ;  fills 
it  higher,  higher,  until  it  reaches  the  point  on  the  pil- 
lars where  the  color  changes.  There  it  remains,  some- 
times for  two  hours,  stationary,  smooth,  and  placid  as  a 
glass.  Then  it  begins  to  sink,  slowly,  surely,  until  it 
vanishes  away  into  the  secret  hiding-places  from  whence 
it  has  come.  Curious,  mysterious  visitor !  The  man 
in  the  boat  knows  its  ways  ;  he  has  studied  them.  He 
waits  patiently,  until,  with  a  sullen,  gurgling  sound,  as 
if  lamenting  the  necessit}^  the  last  current  of  water 
vanishes  behind  a  projecting  mass  of  coal.  Then  he 
hurriedly  casts  off  his  coat,  his  shoes,  his  stockings ; 
he  has  nothing  on  but  his  shirt  and  trousers.  He  fas- 
tens round  him  a  leather  pocket,  in  which  is  a  hammer 
and  chisel;  he  takes  his  safety-lamp  and  fastens  it  to 
his  belt ;  and,  so  equipped,  he  glides  into  one  of  the 
fissures  in  the  black  rock.  He  is  following  the  vanish- 
ing stream.  He  is  a  courageous  man  to  undertake  such 
a  task,  for  his  way  lies  through  the  palace  of  death.  It 
needs  a  heart  of  stone  to  be  there  alone  in  the  awful 
silence.  It  is  a  strong  motive  that  brings  him.  He  is 
seeking  the  secret  which  lies  under  seven  seals,  the 
treasure  which  Nature  has  concealed  for  thousands  of 
years.  But  this  man  knows  not  what  fear  is.  He  re- 
mains three  hours  seeking.  If  he  had  any  one — a  wife, 
a  sister,  even  a  faithful  servant,  who  knew  where  he 
was,  what  danger  he  was  in,  how  their  souls  would  have 
gone  out  in  agony  of  fear  for  what  might  happen  ! 


4  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

But  he  has  no  one  ;  he  is  alone — always  alone.  There 
is  no  one  to  weep  for  his  absence  or  to  be  joyful  at  his 
coming ;  his  life  is  solitary,  in  the  clear  air  of  daylight  as 
well  as  in  the  depths  of  the  cavern. 

The  vanished  stream  is  as  capricious  as  a  coquettish 
maiden,  as  full  of  tricks  and  humors.  Sometimes  it 
does  not  show  itself  for  three  or  four  hours ;  at  other 
moments  it  comes  frolicking  back  in  one,  and  woe  to  the 
unfortunate  wight  who  is  caught  in  its  embrace  in  the 
narrow  windings  of  the  coal-vault !  But  this  man  knows 
the  humors  of  the  stream;  he  has  studied  them.  He 
and  it  are  old  acquaintances ;  he  knows  the  signs  upon 
which  he  can  depend,  and  he  knows  how  long  the  pause 
will  last.  He  can  gauge  its  duration  by  the  underground 
wind.  When  it  whistles  through  the  clefts  and  fissures, 
then  he  knows  the  stream  is  at  hand.  Should  he  wait 
until  the  shrill  piping  ceases,  then  he  is  a  dead  man. 

In  the  darkness  a  ghostly  sound  is  heard — it  is  like  a 
long-drawn  sigh,  the  far-away  sobbing  of  an  ^olian 
harp ;  and  immediately  the  shimmer  of  the  lamp  is  seen 
coming  nearer  and  nearer,  and  in  a  minute  the  mysteri- 
ous searcher  of  the  hidden  secret  appears. 

His  countenance  is  paler  than  before — deathly;  and 
drops  of  sweat  course  down  his  forehead  and  cheeks. 
Down  below  the  air  must  be  heavier  in  the  cavern,  or 
the  nightmare  of  the  abyss  has  caused  this  cold  damp. 
He  throws  his  well-filled  wallet  into  the  boat,  and  seats 
himself  in  it  again. 

It  was  time.  Scarcely  has  he  taken  his  place  when  a 
gurgling  is  heard,  and  out  of  the  fissures  of  the  rock 
comes  a  gush  of  black  water,  shooting  forth  with  a  loud, 
bubbling  noise.  Then  follows  a  few  minutes'  pause,  and 
again  another  gush  of  water.  The  cavern  is  filling  rapid- 
ly.   In  a  short  time,  over  the  smooth  surface  of  the  wall, 


A    BLACK    PLACE  5 

the  watermark  shows  itself.  Clear  as  a  looking-glass  it 
rises,  noiselessly,  surely,  until  it  has  reached  the  black 
line  upon  the  pillars. 

The  boat,  with  its  silent,  watchful  occupant,  floats 
upon  the  water  like  the  ghost  of  the  cavern.  The  water 
is  not  like  ordinary  water;  it  is  heavy  like  metal.  The 
boat  moves  slowly,  only  now  the  rower  does  not  care  to 
look  into  the  depths  of  the  black  looking-glass ;  he  pays 
no  attention  to  the  mysterious  signs  on  the  walls.  He 
is  occupied  taking  stock  of  the  air  about  him,  which  is 
growing  denser  every  moment,  and  he  looks  carefully  at 
his  safety-lamp,  but  it  is  closely  shut.     No  escape  there. 

There  is  a  great  fog  all  round  the  lamp.  The  air  in 
this  underground  abyss  takes  a  blue  shade.  The  man 
in  the  boat  knows  well  what  this  means.  The  flame  of 
the  safety-lamp  flares  high,  and  the  wick  turns  red — bad 
signs  these  !     The  angel  of  death  is  hovering  near. 

Two  spirits  dwell  in  these  subterranean  regions — two 
fearfully  wicked  spirits.  The  pitmen  call  one  Stormy 
Weather,  the  other  Bad  Weather ;  and  these  two  evil 
spirits  haunt  every  coal-mine,  under  different  names. 
Bad  Weather  steals  upon  its  victim,  lies  like  a  thick 
vapor  upon  his  chest,  follows  the  miner  step  by  step, 
takes  away  his  breath  and  his  speech,  laughs  at  his 
alarm,  and  vanishes,  when  it  has  reached  its  height,  just 
as  suddenly  as  it  came.  Stormy  Weather  is  far  more 
cruel — fearful.  It  comes  like  a  whirlwind  ;  it  sets  every- 
thing in  a  flame,  kindles  the  lumps  of  coal,  shatters  the 
vaults,  destroys  the  shaft,  burns  the  ground,  and  dashes 
human  beings  to  pieces.  Those  who  gain  their  liveli- 
hood by  working  underground  can  never  tell  when  they 
may  meet  one  or  other  of  these  evil  spirits. 

The  secret  of  "  stormy  weather,"  whence  it  comes, 
when  it  may  come,  no  man  has  yet  discovered.     It  is 


6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

believed  that  it  arises  from  the  contact  of  the  hydrogen 
gases  with  the  acid  gases  which  are  contained  in  the 
open  air;  and  "bad  weather"  needs  only  a  spark  to  turn 
into  "stormy  weather."  The  thoughtless  opening  of  a 
safety-lamp,  the  striking  of  a  match,  is  sufficient  to  fuse 
the  two  evil  spirits  into  one. 

The  solitary  man  whom  we  have  been  shadowing  sees, 
with  an  anxiety  that  increases  every  moment,  how  the  air 
becomes  more  and  more  the  color  of  an  opal.  Already 
it  is  enveloping  him  in  a  thin  cloud.  He  does  not  wait 
for  the  flood  to  rise  to  its  highest  point,  for,  when  he 
reaches  a  place  in  the  wall  where  a  sort  of  landing-stage 
has  been  made,  he  jumps  upon  it,  draws  the  boat  by  its 
chain,  and  moors  it  fast,  and  then,  ascending  by  some 
rude  steps  to  a  strong  iron  door,  he  opens  it  with  a  key, 
and,  closing  it  behind  him,  finds  himself  in  a  passage 
which  leads  him  straight  into  the  pit. 

Here  he  is  in  a  busy  world,  very  different  from  the 
solitude  he  has  left.  The  streets,  which  are  narrow  and 
close,  are  full  of  miners  hard  at  work  with  their  hammers. 
The  men  are  nearly  naked,  the  boys  who  push  the  wag- 
ons are  wholly  so.  There  is  no  sound  heard  but  that  of 
the  never-ceasing  hammers.  In  the  mine  there  are  no 
jolly  songs,  no  hearty  laughter.  Over  the  mouth  of  each 
miner  a  thick  cloth  is  tied,  through  which  he  breathes. 

Some  of  the  passages  are  so  narrow  that  the  worker 
is  obliged  to  lie  upon  his  back,  and  in  this  position  to 
reach  the  coal  with  his  pick.  When  he  has  loosened  it 
he  drops  it  into  the  little  wagon,  which  the  naked  boys, 
crawling  upon  their  stomachs,  push  before  them  to  the 
opening. 

The  man  who  has  come  out  of  the  dark  cavern  does 
not  differ  in  dress  from  any  of  the  others.  He  is  clothed, 
certainly,  but  his  clothes  are  covered  with  coal-dust,  his 


A    BLACK    PLACE  7 

hnnds  are  just  as  coarse,  and  he  carries  a  pick  and  a 
hammer  on  his  shoulder.  Nevertheless,  they  all  know 
him ;  there  is  a  rough  civility  in  the  tone  of  each  man  as 
he  answers  the  other's  greeting,  "  Good-evening.  Bad 
Weather  is  coming.'' 

The  word  is  repeated  all  round. 

It  was  true.  Bad  Weather  was  close  at  hand,  and 
these  men  and  boys,  who  quietly  come  and  go,  hammer, 
shove  the  wagons,  lie  on  their  backs,  all  know,  as  well  as 
the  convict  who  is  awaiting  the  execution  of  his  sen- 
tence, that  death  is  near. 

The  heavy,  damp  fog  which  lies  upon  each  man's 
chest,  and  which  fills  the  mine  with  its  unwholesome 
smell,  needs  only  a  spark,  and  those  who  now  live  and 
move  are  dead  men,  buried  underground,  while  overhead 
a  hundred  widows  and  orphans  weep  and  clamor  for 
their  lost  ones. 

And  yet,  knowing  this,  the  miners  continue  calmly  to 
work,  as  if  quite  unconscious  that  the  dread  Angel  of 
Death  is  hovering  about  them. 

The  man  who  has  just  entered  is  Ivan  Behrend,  the 
owner  of  the  mine.  He  unites  in  himself  the  office  of 
overseer,  director,  surveyor,  and  bookkeeper.  He  has 
enough  to  do ;  but  we  all  know  the  proverb,  and,  if  we 
have  lived  long  enough,  have  tested  its  truth,  "  If  you 
want  a  thing  well  done,  do  it  yourself."  Moreover,  it  is 
an  encouragement  to  the  worker  if  he  sees  his  employer 
go  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  him  in  the  work.  There- 
fore, as  we  have  just  seen,  the  master  greets  all  his 
workmen  with  the  words,  "Bad  Weather  is  coming,"  and 
they  all  know  that  the  master  does  not  consider  his  life 
of  more  value  than  theirs ;  he  does  not  fly  and  leave 
them  all  the  danger,  because  he  is  the  owner  and  gets 
all  the  profit.    Quietly,  with  the  most  perfect  composure, 


8  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

he  gives  his  orders — the  ventilators  are  to  be  opened — a 
charge  of  cool  air  at  once  to  the  heated  coal;  and  the 
workers  are  to  go  off  work  after  three  instead  of  six 
hours.  He  gets  into  the  pail,  covered  with  buffalo-skin, 
and  lets  himself  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  shaft,  to  see 
if  the  new  openings  are  dangerous.  He  turns  over  care- 
fully with  an  iron  bar  the  coal-dust,  to  try  if  any  of  it  is 
heated,  or  if  gas  is  there  concealed  which  might  cause 
an  explosion.  Then,  as  the  ventilators  below  and  the 
air-pump  above  begin  to  work,  he  takes  his  place  at  the 
anometer.  This  is  a  tender  little  machine,  something 
like  the  humming-top  of  children.  Its  axle  turns  upon 
a  ruby,  and  the  spring" sets  a  wheel  with  a  hundred  teeth 
in  motion  ;  the  velocity  of  this  wheel  shows  the  strength 
of  the  current  of  air  in  the  shaft.  It  should  neither 
be  stronger  nor  weaker  than  the  motion  of  the  "bad 
weather." 

He  has  now  seen  to  everything ;  he  has  taken  every 
precaution,  he  has  left  nothing  to  chance,  and,  when  all 
the  miners  have  quitted  the  pit,  he  is  the  last  to  ascend 
in  the  baskejt  to  the  fresh  air  and  the  daylight. 

Fresh  air — daylight ! 

In  Bondavara  the  sun  never  shines,  the  shadow  of  the 
smoke  hangs  like  a  thick  cloud  over  the  land ;  it  is  a 
black  country,  painted  in  chalk.  The  roads  are  black 
with  coal-tracks ;  the  houses  are  black  from  the  coal- 
dust,  which  the  wind  carries  here  and  there  from  the 
large  coal  warehouses ;  the  men  and  the  women  are 
black.  It  is  a  wonder  the  birds  over  there  in  the  woods 
are  not  black  also. 

The  mouth  of  the  Bondavara  pit  is  on  the  slope  of  a 
hill,  which,  when  you  ascend  it,  gives  you  a  fine  view 
over  the  whole  country.  On  the  other  side,  in  the  val- 
ley, are  the  tall  chimneys  of  the  distilling-ovens.     These 


A    BLACK    PLACE  9 

chimneys  are  busy  night  and  day,  vomiting  forth  smoke, 
sometimes  white,  but  generally  coal-black  j  for  here  is 
distilled  the  sulphur  which  forms  a  component  of  the 
coal. 

The  metal  can  only  be  melted  when  in  this  condition. 
One  of  the  principal  customers  of  the  coal-mine  is  the 
iron-foundry  on  the  neighboring  mountain,  which  has 
five  chimneys  from  which  the  smoke  issues.  If  the 
hammer  throws  up  white  smoke,  then  the  oven  distils 
black  smoke,  and  so  contrariwise.  Both  factories  work- 
ing together  cast  over  the  valley  a  continuous  veil  of 
cloud  and  smoke,  through  which  even  the  beams  of  the 
sun  look  brown  and  dingy. 

From  the  foundry  flows  a  rusty-red  stream,  and  out  of 
the  coal-mine  another,  which  is  as  black  as  ink.  In  the 
valley  both  these  streams  unite  and  continue  their  course 
together.  For  a  little  the  rusty-red  tries  to  get  the  bet- 
ter of  the  inky-black,  but  it  has  to  give  up,  and  the  black 
rivulet  flows  on  triumphantly  through  the  black  meadow 
lands. 

It  is  a  most  depressing  landscape,  and  it  is  saddening 
to  reflect  that  in  such  a  place  men  have  grown  from  child- 
hood to  middle  age,  from  middle  age  to  old  age,  and  have 
never  seen  the  green  fields  or  the  blue  sky  of  God's 
heaven. 

But  Ivan  Behrend,  when  he  ascended  from  the  pit  into 
the  open  air,  found  little  contrast  between  the  upper  and 
the  under  ground.  Below,  there  was  the  stifling  smell 
of  gas  ;  above,  a  suffocating  fog  :  below,  the  black  vault 
of  the  mine ;  above,  the  murky  vault  of  the  heavens : 
and  the  same  men  above  and  below. 

It  was  then  evening ;  the  sun  had  gone  down,  and  for 
the  moment  even  the  vile  smoke  could  not  rob  it  of  its 
setting  glory.     The  towers  of  the  distant  castle  of  Bon- 


lO  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

davara  were  touched  with  its  gleam,  and  the  chimneys 
of  the  distilling -houses  were  aglow  with  this  crimson 
light.  The  miners  were  standing  about  idly;  the  women 
and  the  girls,  who  are  employed  in  shoving  the  wheel- 
barrows, sat  gossiping  together,  as  is  the  manner  of  the 
sex.  One  of  them,  a  young  girl,  began  to  sing — a  sim- 
ple little  song,  with  simple  words.  It  was  a  Slav  volks- 
lied — a  sort  of  romance.  A  mother  is  taking  leave  of 
her  daughter,  a  bride  of  a  few  hours ;  she  recalls  to  the 
girl  her  childish  days  and  her  mother's  care  in  these 

words  : 

"  Wenn  ich  das  Haar  dir  strich, 
Zerr'  ich  am  Haare  dich  ? 
Wenn  ich  dich  wusch,  mein  Kind, 
War  ich  je  ungelind  ?" 

The  melody  was  touching,  with  the  sad  strain  that  all 
the  Slav  music  has,  as  if  composed  with  tears ;  and  the 
voice  of  the  one  who  sang  was  musical  and  full  of  feel- 
ing. Ivan  stopped  to  listen  to  the  song  until  the  singer 
and  her  companions  disappeared  behind  the  houses. 

At  this  moment  it  seemed  to  him  that  there  was  a 
great  difference  between  life  underground  and  life  in  the 
open. 

The  song  still  sounded  in  the  distance ;  the  clouds 
had  passed  over  and  extinguished  the  light  of  the  set- 
ting sun,  enveloping  the  landscape  in  total  darkness. 
No  star,  no  white  house;  only  the  light  from  the  win- 
dows of  the  foundry  lighted  up  the  darkness  of  night; 
and  the  smoke  of  the  distilling-factory  rose  from  the 
chimneys  and  cast  yellow  circles  upon  the  sky. 


CHAPTER   II 
THE    SLAVE   OF    THE    BLACK    DL\MONDS 

There  is  nothing  startling  or  new  in  the  declaration 
that  when  we  speak  of  "  black  diamonds  "  we  mean  coal. 
That  beautiful,  brilliant  stone,  the  diamond,  is  made  of 
carbon.  So  is  your  house-coal — the  only  difference 
being,  the  one  is  transparent,  the  other  black;  and  the 
first  is  the  demon,  the  last  the  angel. 

Coal  moves  the  world.  The  spirit  of  progress  comes 
from  it ;  railroads,  steamboats  borrow  from  it  their 
wonderful  strength.  Every  machine  that  is,  and  works, 
has  its  existence  from  coal.  It  makes  the  earth  habi- 
table ;  it  gives  to  the  great  cities  their  mighty  blaze  and 
splendor.  It  is  a  treasure,  the  last  gift  presented  by 
earth  to  extravagant  man. 

Therefore  it  is  that  we  call  coal  "black  diamonds." 

Ivan  Behrend,  the  owner  of  the  Bondavara  coal-mine, 
was  not  exactly  in  the  condition  of  some  of  his  pitmen. 
He  had  seen  God's  heaven,  and  knew  how  in  happier 
lands  life  was  bright,  careless,  sunny  as  the  cloudless 
sky  itself.  But  for  an  existence  which  was  all  play  and 
no  work,  Ivan  would  not  have  cared.  He  had  inherited 
the  coal-mine  from  his  father,  who  had  left  him  also  an 
inheritance  of  a  strong  will  and  inflexible  perseverance. 
No  trifle,  nor  even  a  great  obstacle,  could  stand  in  the 
way  of  Ivan's  wishes,  and  his  wish  and  his  pride  was  to 
work  the   Bondavara  mine  without   any  help  but  what 


12  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

his  pitmen  gave  him.  It  was  his  ambition — perhaps  a 
fooUsh  one — to  have  no  company  at  his  back,  no  share- 
holders to  find  fault,  no  widows  and  orphans  to  be  in- 
volved in  possible  ruin  ;  the  mine  was  his,  and  his  it 
should  be  absolutely.  Therefore  it  was  a  quiet  busi- 
ness. The  foundry  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  nearest 
town  consumed  the  yearly  output  at  an  uncommonly 
low  price.  It  never  could  be,  unless  with  enormous 
outlay,  a  great  money-making  business,  seeing  that  the 
mine  was  too  far  away  from  any  of  the  great  centres. 
Nevertheless,  it  brought  in  a  steady  income,  especially 
as  Ivan  paid  no  useless  expenses,  and  was,  as  we  have 
said,  his  own  overseer  and  accountant.  He  knew  every- 
thing that  went  on,  he  understood  his  own  business  per- 
fectly, and  he  took  a  pleasure  in  looking  after  his  own 
affairs ;  and  these  three  qualifications,  as  any  business 
man  knows,  insure  ultimate  success. 

It  was  well,  however,  that  he  enjoyed  such  good 
health,  and  that  this  superabundance  of  vital  energy 
kept  him  always  occupied,  and,  by  a  natural  conse- 
quence, never  dull.  There  was  no  denying  that  it  was 
a  solitary  life  for  so  young  a  man. 

Ivan  was  very  little  over  thirty,  and  when  he  opened 
the  door  of  his  small  house  with  his  key,  and  closed  the 
door  behind  him,  he  was  alone.  He  hadn't  even  a  dog 
to  come  and  greet  him.  He  waited  upon  himself;  and 
in  this  he  was  a  great  man.  Eating  he  looked  upon  as 
an  unnecessary  waste  of  time ;  nevertheless,  he  ate  a 
great  deal,  for  his  muscular  and  mental  system  needed 
food.  He  was  not  delicate  in  his  appetite.  He  dined 
every  day  at  the  tavern.  His  food  was  very  little  better 
than  that  of  his  pitmen,  the  only  difference  being  that 
he  avoided  the  strong  drinks  they  indulged  in — for  this 
reason,  that  they  worked  only  with  their  bodies  ;  he  had 


THE    SLAVE    OF    THE    BLACK    DIAMONDS  13 

to  bring  to  his  work  a  clear  intellect,  not  a  soddened 
one.  His  bed  needed  no  making.  It  was  a  wooden 
plank,  upon  which  a  mattress  was  placed,  covered  with  a 
sheep-skin.  There  was  no  use  in  brushing  his  clothes ; 
they  were  always  permeated  with  coal-dust. 

Any  one  who  would  offer,  by  way  of  doing  him  a 
service,  to  clear  out  his  room,  would,  in  fact,  have  done 
him  a  deadly  injury.  It  was  full  of  every  sort  of  thing 
— new  books  half  cut,  minerals,  scientific  instruments, 
plans,  pictures,  retorts.  Not  one  of  these  should  be 
moved  from  its  place.  There  was  order  in  the  disorder, 
and  in  the  heterogeneous  mass  Ivan  could  find  what  he 
wanted.  In  one  corner  was  Lavoisier's  pyrometer;  in 
another  Berard's  gas  food-warmer.  Over  there  a  won- 
derful sun-telescope;  against  the  wall  Bunsen's  galvanic 
battery,  together  with  every  conceivable  invention,  every 
sort  of  chemical  apparatus  for  analyzing  and  searching 
into  the  mysteries  of  Nature. 

Amongst  these  things  Ivan  was  wont  to  spend  the 
long  nights.  Another  man,  tired  as  he  must  have  been 
with  his  day's  work,  would  have  flung  himself  upon  his 
bed,  and  have  sought  in  sleep  some  compensation  for 
the  labors  of  the  day,  or  if  not  weary  enough  for  this, 
would  have  sat  before  his  door  and  breathed  the  fresh 
air,  which  at  night  was  free  from  smoke  and  coal-dust. 
But  this  student  of  the  unseen  withdrew  into  his  inner 
chamber,  lit  his  fire,  made  his  lamp  blaze,  and  busied 
himself  breaking  lumps  of  coal,  cooking  seeds,  develop- 
ing deadly  gases,  a  breath  of  which  was  enough  to  send 
a  man  into  eternity. 

What  was  it  he  searched  for.?  Was  he  seeking  the 
secret  of  the  philosopher's  stone  ?  Did  he  abandon 
sleep  to  find  out  how  diamonds  can  be  made  out  of 
coal?     Did  he  strive  to  extract  deadly  poisons,  or  was 


14  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

he  simply  pursuing  the  ignis  fatuus  of  knowledge — try- 
ing experiments,  grubbing  in  the  dark  until,  in  the  hope- 
less endeavor,  the  over-strained  brain  would  give  way, 
and  there  would  be  only  the  w^eck  of  what  was  once  a 
noble  intellect  ? 

Nothing  of  the  sort.  This  man  had  a  purpose ;  he 
wanted  to  learn  a  secret  wiiich  would  be  of  infinite 
benefit  to  mankind — at  least,  to  those  who  are  buried 
in  the  pits  and  caverns  of  the  earth.  He  wanted  to 
find  out  by  what  means  it  would  be  possible  to  extin- 
guish fire  in  burning  pits.  To  discover  this  he  con- 
sumed his  nights  and  the  years  of  his  youth  and  his 
manhood.  It  was  no  thought  born  of  to-day  or  yester- 
day ;  it  had  been  his  one  desire  for  many  years.  He  had 
seen  so  much  misery,  such  heartrending  scenes  enacted 
before  these  pit  mouths — these  monsters  which  swallow 
up  human  life  like  the  Juggernauts  of  old.  He  wanted 
to  prevent  this  amount  of  sacrifice — a  sacrifice  never 
thought  of  by  those  who  profit  from  the  labor  of  these 
victims,  whose  very  blood  is  spilled  to  keep  others  warm. 
It  is  possible  this  one  idea  might  drive  him  mad,  or  he 
might  lose  his  life ;  but  the  knowledge,  if  he  did  gain 
it,  would  be,  in  his  opinion,  worth  the  loss.  After  all, 
what  is  the  loss  of  one  life  against  the  saving  of  mill- 
ions ?  This  man  had  a  fine  nature ;  there  was  no  tinge 
of  self  in  Ivan  Behrend.  Also,  he  had  a  certain  enjoy- 
ment in  his  search.  Enjoyment  is  not  the  word. 
Whenever  he  got  even  a  glimpse  of  what  he  wanted,  his 
joy  was  something  unearthly.  Surely  these  moments 
were  worth  all  the  pleasures  the  world  could  offer  him  ; 
and  if  we  can  bring  our  minds  to  understand  this,  then 
we  shall  comprehend  how  a  young  man  preferred  to  be 
shut  up  in  a  cavern,  in  danger  of  losing  his  life,  or  in 
a  stifling  room,  trying  risky  experiments,  rather   than 


THE    SLAVE    OF    THE    BLACK  DIAMONDS 


15 


spend  the  night  with  beautiful  maidens  or  pleasant 
fellows,  drinking,  dancing,  and  love-making.  There  is 
a  charm  in  Science  to  those  who  know  her  that  far  sur- 
passes carnal  joys. 

To-night,  however,  it  must  be  confessed,  Ivan's  ex- 
periments fell  a  little  flat.  Either  he  was  tired,  or  some 
other  cause  was  at  work.  Could  it  be  possible  that  a 
girl's  song—  Yes,  such  was  the  humiliating  condition 
of  affairs.  At  the  moment  when  he  least  expected  it, 
this  thing  had  unexpectedly  seized  upon  him. 

With  an  effort  Ivan  lit  his  lamp  and  lighted  his  fur- 
nace. His  experiments,  however,  were  a  failure.  That 
girl's  song  kept  running  in  his  head,  and  the  words- 
how  did  they  go  } 

"  Say  when  I  smoolhed  thy  hair, 
Showed  I  not  tender  care  ? 
Say  when  I  dressed  my  child, 
Was  I  not  fond  and  mikl  ?"  * 

It  was  very  pretty,  and  the  voice  wonderful— so  sweet 
and  clear  and  melodious.  To-morrow  evening  she 
might  be  at  the  pit's  mouth  again,  and  then  he  would 
find  out  her  name.  Even  if  she  were  not  there,  the 
other  girls  would  know  ;  there  were  not  so  many  singers 
among  them. 

"Say  when  I  smoothed  thy  hair" — 

Oh,  he  could  settle  down  to  nothing  with  this  tiresome 
song ! — 

"  Showed  I  not  tender  care?" 

He  wished  he  had  seen  her  face,  merely  to  know  if  it 
matched    the    voice.     Very  likely  not.     She  would   be 

*  These  lines  have  been  kindly  translated  from  the  original  by 
Miss  Troutbeck. 


1 6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

hard-featured,  like  the  other  girls — bold,  unwomanly 
creatures ;  beauty  and  modesty  were  rare  gifts  in  Bon- 
davara. 

The  next  day  Ivan  was  early  at  the  pit.  The  opening 
of  the  air-oven  had  done  its  work  ;  there  was  only  a  frac- 
tional quantity  of  hydrogen  mixed  with  the  pit  air.  The 
ventilators  could  be  shut,  and  Ivan  was  able  to  spend 
some  time  in  the  open. 

At  twelve  o'clock  the  bell  rang  to  leave  off  work.  As 
the  girls  came  from  the  wheelbarrows,  he  again  heard 
the  clear  young  voice  singing  the  same  song.  He  had 
not  been  wrong  as  to  the  voice  ;  it  was  fresh  and  lovely, 
like  the  blackbird  in  the  woods,  uneducated  and  un- 
spoiled, but  full  of  natural  charm,  tender  and  joyous  as 
the  feathered  songster.  He  could  now  see  the  singer — 
a  very  young  girl,  not  more  than  sixteen.  The  common 
blue  bodice  she  wore  showed  every  undulation  of  her 
girlish  figure,  untrammelled  by  any  fashionable  stays. 
Her  short  red  skirt,  tucked  up  on  one  side,  and  fastened 
to  her  waist,  disclosed  her  still  shorter  chemise,  which 
only  reached  to  her  knees,  so  that  her  legs  were  uncov- 
ered. They  might  have  been  modelled  for  a  statue  of 
Hebe,  so  perfect  were  they  in  shape — the  ankles  small, 
and  little  feet  beautifully  rounded,  like  a  child's.  About 
her  head  the  girl  had  wound  a  colored  cloth,  and  under 
this  she  had  tucked  away  her  hair ;  her  face,  like  those 
of  her  companions,  was  blackened  by  the  coal-dust,  but 
even  this  enemy  to  beauty  could  not  disfigure  her.  You 
could  see  that  her  features  were  regular,  her  eyebrows 
thick  and  dark,  her  lips  red.  There  was  a  mixture  of 
earthly  dirt  and  supernatural  beauty  about  this  child  ; 
besides,  she  had  one  thing  that  even  coal-dust  could  not 
conceal  or  dim,  her  eyes — her  large  black  eyes — shining 
like  two  diamonds,  which  lit  up  the  darkness  as  two  stars. 


THE    SLAVE    OF    THE    BLACK    DIAMONDS  1 7 

As  these  wonderful  eyes  met  Ivan's  glance,  it  seemed 
to  that  philosopher  as  if  these  diamonds  cut  away  a  por- 
tion of  the  glass  phial  in  which  he  had  preserved  his 
heart,  and  so  kept  it  untouched  up  to  this.  But  he  did 
not  know  that  this  was  only  the  beginning  ;  his  glass 
protector  will  soon  lie  in  fragments  all  round  him. 

The  girl  made  a  little  curtsey  to  her  employer,  and  ac- 
companied this  small  act  of  duty  with  a  smile  which 
showed  two  rows  of  beautiful,  pearly-white  teeth, 

Ivan  felt  like  an  enchanted  knight  in  a  fairy  tale.  He 
forgot  what  had  brought  him  here,  and  what  he  w^anted 
to  say  ;  he  remained  rooted  to  the  spot,  gazing  blankly 
after  the  retreating  figure  of  the  girl  and  her  companions. 
He  hoped,  without  exactly  defining  what  his  hope  was, 
that  she  would  look  back.  That  little  action  would  have 
broken  the  charm  under  which  he  lay.  But  she  did  not 
look  back,  although  one  of  her  companions  called  her  by 
her  name,  "  Evila."  Ivan  could  see  them  talking  to  her, 
whispering,  no  doubt,  about  him.  This  did  not  seem  to 
rouse  any  curiosity  in  her.  She  and  they  had  now  come 
to  an  open  shed.  Here  they  seated  themselves  upon 
the  ground,  took  out  of  their  pockets  pieces  of  black 
bread  and  wild  apples,  and  ate  their  meal  with  as  much 
zest  as  if  it  had  been  chicken  and  grapes. 

Ivan  returned  to  his  house.  For  the  first  time  in  his 
life  it  struck  him  how  lonely  it  was.  It  was  his  custom 
to  keep  a  sort  of  log-book,  in  which  he  entered  his  per- 
sonal notes  upon  all  his  work-people.  He  found  this 
practice  very  necessary ;  he  knew  that  a  skilled  work- 
man of  good  conduct  is  far  more  useful  at  high  wages 
than  a  lazy,  good-for-nothing  fellow  of  doubtful  charac- 
ter who  would  come  for  half  the  wage.  At  the  footnote 
by  the  name  "  Evila"  he  read — 

"  A  young  orphan ;  supports  a  crippled  brother  younger 


ig  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

than  herself,  who  goes  upon  crutches,  and  whose  tongue 
is  paralyzed.  She  is  very  steady,  and  does  not  go  to  the 
town." 

It  was  certain,  therefore,  that  he  must  have  seen  this 
child  before,  but  had  given  no  attention  to  her.     Every 
Saturday  he  paid  every  workman,  every  girl  and  lad  in 
the  pit ;  how,  then,  had  he  escaped  noticing  those  won- 
derful eyes  ?     He  did  not  know,  learned  as  he  was,  that 
there  is  an  affinity  between  two  souls  destined  for  one 
another.     It  is  like  an  electric  shock,  this  sudden  birth 
of  love  ;  but  Ivan  ridiculed  such  an  idea.    Love  ?    Non- 
sense !     He  in  love  with  a  girl  out  of  the  pit  ?     Ridicu- 
lous !     It  was  compassion,  merely  pity  for  a  pretty  child, 
left  without  either  father  or  mother  to  watch  over  her 
tender  age,  and,  still  worse,  with  a  deformed  brother  to 
care  for  and  provide  with  food  and  medicines.     No  doubt 
she  gave  him  the  best  of  everything,  while  she  had  to  be 
content  with  black  bread  and  wild  apples,  and  all  the 
time  remained  an  honest,  steady  girl.     She  never  even 
turned  her  head  to  look  after  him.     There  was  nothmg 
but  pity  in  his  heart  for  this  coal-black  Naiad  ;  it  was 
only  pity  made  him  wish  to  cover  those  tender  little  feet 
with  proper  shoes  ;  it  was  only  a  proper  regard  for  the 
weakest  among  his  work-people  which  would  cause  hrni 
to  make  inquiries  as  to  this  poor  forlorn  child.    Oh,  self- 
deception,  what  a  part  you  play  in  men's  hearts  ! 

The  following  Saturday  the  workers  came  to  receive 
their  weekly  wages.  Ivan,  who  always  paid  them  him- 
self, remained  at  his  desk  until  the  last  one  came.  On 
this  occasion  Evila  was  the  last.  Ivan  sat  at  a  table,  on 
which  was  placed  the  sum  to  be  paid,  which  was  regu- 
lated by  the  account  of  the  work  done,  which  was  regis- 
tered in  the  day-book. 

When  the  irirl,  who  was  dressed  as  when  we  first  saw 


THE   SLAVE    OF    THE    BLACK    DIAMONDS  19 

her,  in  her  blue  bodice  and  red  skirt,  presented  herself, 
Ivan  said  to  her  kindly — 

"  My  child,  I  have  determined  to  increase  your  wages  ; 
from  this  day  you  shall  have  double  pay." 

The  girl  opened  her  large  eyes,  and  stared  in  surprise. 
"Why  so?"  she  asked. 

"  Because  I  am  told  that  you  have  a  crippled  brother, 
whom  you  have  to  keep  out  of  your  small  earnings.  You 
cannot  have  enough  to  clothe  and  feed  both  him  and 
yourself.  I  have  also  heard  that  you  are  a  well-con- 
ducted, honest  girl,  and  therefore  it  gives  me  pleasure 
to  reward  you  by  giving  you  double  pay." 

"  I  cannot  take  it." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  I  know  what  the  others  would  say.  They 
would  joke  and  tease  me  about  your  being  my  lover,  and 
I  should  get  so  tormented  that  I  could  not  stay  in  the 
place." 

Ivan  was  so  confounded  by  this  naive  explanation, 
given  without  the  slightest  confusion,  that  he  could 
make  no  answer.  He  counted  out  the  usual  week's 
wages,  which  she  stowed  away  in  the  bosom  of  her 
bodice,  wished  him  good  morning,  and  went  her  way. 

He  remained,  his  thoughts  in  a  maze.  In  all  his  ex- 
perience— and  he  had  a  good  deal,  for  his  time  had  not 
been  always  spent  in  Bondavara,  and  out  in  the  world 
he  had  known  many  women — he  had  known  no  woman 
like  this. 

She  is  afraid  they  will  say  I  am  her  lover ;  she  is 
afraid  they  will  tease  her  so  much  on  that  account  that 
she  may  have  to  leave  the  place  !  Has  she,  then,  no 
idea  that  once  I,  the  master,  loved  a  girl  here,  she  would 
not  push  the  wheelbarrow  any  more  ?  Does  she  even 
know  what  a  lover  is?     She  knows  well  that  she  must 


20  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

guard  herself  against  one.  Poor  child  !  How  earnest 
she  was,  and  yet  she  laughed,  and  she  did  not  know  why 
she  laughed,  nor  yet  why  she  was  grave.  A  savage  in 
the  guise  of  an  angel ! 

He  got  up,  locked  his  desk,  and  turned  to  leave  his 
office  ;   then  again  remained,  thinking. 

She  is  unlike  every  other  woman.  I  doubt  if  she 
knows  how  beautiful  she  is,  or  what  is  the  worth  of 
beauty.  She  is  Eve,  a  perfect  copy  of  Eve — the  Eve  of 
Scripture,  and  the  Eve  of  IMilton.  She  is  Eve,  in  not 
knowing  wherefore  she  should  blush  over  her  own 
nakedness  —  the  type  of  the  beautiful  in  its  primitive 
state,  unwashed,  savage,  with  hair  unconfined,  who  wan- 
ders through  the  garden,  fearing  nothing,  and  even  play- 
ing with  a  serpent.  With  men  she  is  a  woman,  by  her- 
self she  is  a  child,  and  yet  she  displays  a  motherly  x:are 
for  her  little  brother.  Her  figure  is  a  model  for  a 
sculptor,  her  countenance  is  full  of  mind,  her  eyes  be- 
witching, her  voice  melodious;  and  yet  her  hands  are 
hard  with  the  barrow-poles,  her  mind  is  troubled  with 
sordid  cares  for  her  daily  bread,  her  face  is  covered  with 
coal-smut,  and  she  has  learned  her  songs  in  the  street. 

"  The  worse  for  her  !"  and,  after  a  pause,  Ivan  added 
with  a  sigh,  "  and  the  worse  for  another  besides  her." 

In  his  mind  a  total  revolution  had  taken  place.  The 
intellectual  spirits  had  for  the  nonce  deserted  him,  and 
in  their  place  others  had  come  of  a  very  different  order 
— those  demons  which  the  blessed  Antony  had  fought 
with  such  good  effect  in  the  desert. 

When  poor  Ivan  tried  to  banish  these  tempters  by 
burying  himself  in  his  books  and  his  scientific  instru- 
ments the  form  of  Evila  came  between  him  and  the  ex- 
periment he  was  busy  on,  just  as  Marguerite  appeared 
to  Doctor  Faust  in  his  laboratory ;  her  voice  sounded  in 


THE    SLAVE    OF    THE    BLACK    DIAMONDS  21 

his  ear,  her  eyes  glowed  in  the  coals,  and  when  he  tried 
to  write  he  found  himself  drawing  a  maiden  in  a  blue 
bodice  and  short  red  skirt.  It  was  the  same  with  every- 
thins:  he  undertook.  Some  mockins:  demon  seemed  bent 
on  tormenting  him. 

Abandoning  his  experiments,  this  unfortunate  man 
took  to  reading  a  volume  of  light  literature.  What  did 
he  open  on  ?  The  loves  of  great  and  nobly-born  men 
for  lowly-born  and  inferior  women.  Thus  Lord  Douglas 
fell  in  love  with  a  shepherdess,  and  became  a  shepherd 
for  her  sake;  Count  Pelletier  took  for  his  wife  a  gypsy 
girl,  and  went  about  the  streets  turning  an  organ  ;  Ber- 
nadotte,  the  King  of  Sweden,  sought  the  hand  of  a 
young  girl  who  watched  a  flock  of  geese  for  a  farmer; 
Archduke  John  married  the  daughter  of  a  postmaster ; 
and  another  Austrian  duke  raised  an  actress  to  the 
position  of  grand  duchess;  the  consort  of  Peter  the 
Great  was  the  daughter  of  a  villager ;  a  Bonaparte  mar- 
ried a  washerwoman  who  had  been  his  mistress. 

And  why  not  ?  Are  not  beauty,  sweetness,  fidelity, 
and  true  worth  to  be  found  under  a  woollen  as  well  as 
under  a  silken  frock  ?  And,  on  the  other  hand,  do  we 
not  find  sinners  enough  in  the  upper  circles  ? 

Did  not  Zoraida  kill  her  own  children,  and  was  she 
not  a  born  princess  ?  Faustina  took  money  from  her 
lovers,  although  she  w^as  the  daughter  of  an  emperor ; 
the  Marquise  Astorgas  ran  a  hairpin  through  her  hus- 
band's heart ;  Semiramis  strewed  a  whole  churchyard 
with  the  corpses  of  her  spouses  ;  King  Otto  was  poi- 
soned in  a  grove  by  his  queen ;  Joanna  of  Naples 
treasured  the  ribbon  with  which  the  king,  her  husband, 
was  strangled  ;  Jeanne  Lafolle  tormented  her  husband 
to  death ;  the  Empress  Catharine  betrayed  her  sovereign 
and   consort,   and    connived   at   his    murder ;    and  the 


22  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Borgias,  Tudors,  Cillis,  all  had  wives  who  became  no- 
torious in  that  they  wore  entwined  in  their  crowns  the 
girdle  of  Aphrodite. 

And  do  we  not  find  the  most  exalted  virtue  in  what  is 
called  low  life  ?  The  actress  Gaussin,  to  whom  her 
wealthy  lover  gave  a  check  with  carte  blanche  to  write  a 
million  thereupon,  only  wrote  that  she  would  always  love 
him  ,  Quintilla,  another  actress,  bit  off  her  tongue,  lest 
she  should  betray  her  lover,  who  was  implicated  in  a 
conspiracy ;  Alice,  who  undertook  to  fight  a  duel  for  her 
husband,  and  was  killed ;  and  many  others  who  have 
suffered  silently  and  died  for  very  love. 

Philosophy  and  history  both  conspired  against  Ivan. 
And  then  came  sleep. 

A  dream  is  a  magic  mirror  in  which  we  see  ourselves 
as  we  would  be  if  our  own  wishes  and  inclinations  were 
all-powerful.  In  his  dream  the  bald  man  has  hair  and 
the  blind  sees. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  following  week  Ivan  made 
the  discovery  that  he  had  lost  the  use  of  his  understand- 
ing. The  more  he  endeavored  to  force  his  mind  back 
to  its  original  groove  of  abstract  theories,  the  more  the 
demons  ranged  themselves  against  him.  One  evening, 
in  a  fit  of  absence  of  mind,  he  overheated  one  of  the 
retorts,  so  that  it  burst  in  his  face,  and  the  small  glass 
particles  cut  his  nose  and  cheek,  and  he  was  forced  to 
bind  up  his  wounds  with  bits  of  sticking-plaster.  It 
did  not  occur  to  him  that  these  strips  of  black  diachy- 
lon placed  obliquely  across  his  nose  did  not  improve  his 
appearance.  He  was,  however,  very  angry  at  his  own 
folly — a  folly  which  went  still  further,  for  he  began  to 
argue  with  himself  in  this  way : 

"  It  would  be  better  to  marry  this  girl  than  to  become 
mad  for  her  sake.     Marry  her?     Who  ever  heard  the 


THE    SLAVE    OF    THE    BLACK    DL-VMONDS  23 

like  ?  A  pit-girl !  What  a  mesalliance  I  And  who  cares  ? 
Am  I  not  alone  in  the  world  ?  Do  I  not  form  the  whole 
family?  And  does  not  this  constant  thought  of  her 
come  between  me  and  my  business  ?  If  this  goes  on  I 
shall  be  ruined ;  and  as  for  the  mesa/Iia?ice,  is  there  a 
soul  for  six  miles  round  who  understands  the  meaning 
of  the  word  ?  Not  one  ;  and  if  there  should  be  one,  he 
would  have  to  seek  me  in  the  coal-pit,  and  he  would  find 
my  face  blackened  with  coal-dust,  so  that  no  one  could 
see  me  blush  for  shame." 

All  the  same,  he  never  sought  the  girl.  He  waited 
for  the  Saturday,  when  he  knew  she  would  come  for  her 
weekly  wages,  and  on  that  day  she  appeared,  as  usual, 
the  last,  because  she  was  the  youngest,  and  stood  before 
him  as  he  sat  at  his  desk.  But  this  time,  when  Ivan 
had  put  the  money  into  Evila's  hand,  he  kept  the  little 
fingers  in  his  firm  clasp.  The  girl  laughed — perhaps  at 
the  plasters,  which  still  ornamented  her  lover's  face. 

"Listen  to  me,  Evila.  I  have  something  to  say  to 
you." 

Evila  looked  uneasy;  she  ceased  to  laugh. 

"Will  you  have  me  for  your  lover?  Nay,  my  child,  I 
mean  you  no  harm  ;  only  one  must  play  the  lover  before 
one  talks  of  marriage." 

The  girl  nodded,  and  then  shook  her  head.  "  It  is 
not  possible,"  she  said. 

"  Not  possible  !    Why  not  i*" 

"  Because  I  am  already  engaged." 

Ivan  let  go  his  clasp  of  her  hand.     "  To  whom  ?" 

"  That  I  am  not  going  to  tell  you,"  said  Evila,  "  for  if 
I  did,  I  know  very  well  what  you  would  do.  You  would 
discharge  him,  or  you  would  keep  him  back,  and  we  can- 
not be  married  until  he  is  taken  on  as  a  regular  pitman." 

*'  You  mean  as  a  day  laborer  ?" 


24  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"Yes." 

"  And  you  think  more  of  this  low  fellow  than  you  do 
of  me,  your  employer  ?'" 

The  girl  shrugged  her  shoulders,  held  her  head  a  little 
to  one  side,  and  threw  a  look  at  Ivan  which  sent  the 
blood  coursing  to  his  head.    Then  she  went  on,  quietly — 

"I  gave  him  my  promise  before  mother  died,  and  I 
must  keep  my  word." 

"  To  the  devil  with  your  father  and  your  mother !" 
cried  Ivan,  out  of  himself  with  baffled  hope  and  rage. 
"  Do  you  imagine  I  care  what  you  have  promised  to  a 
fellow  like  that?  I  ask  you  again,  will  you  give  him  up 
and  come  to  me  V 

Again  Evila  shook  her  head.  "  I  dare  not.  IMy  bride- 
groom is  a  wild,  desperate  fellow ;  he  would  think  noth- 
ing of  doing  for  you,  and  setting  the  pit  on  fire  into  the 
bargain  when  bad  weather  w^as  on.  Good  -  evening !" 
And  so  saying,  she  ran  away  quickly,  and  mingled  with 
her  companions. 

Ivan  threw  the  day-book  from  him  so  violently  that 
the  leaves  flew  from  one  corner  to  another.  A  common 
creature,  a  wheelbarrow-girl,  a  half-savage,  had  dared  to 
cross  his  wishes  and  refuse  his  offer!  And  for  a  dirty, 
miserable,  underground  miner — a  common  mole  ! 

Ivan  had  a  hard  battle  to  fight  with  himself  when  he 
was  once  more  alone  in  the  solitude  of  the  night.  The 
suppressed  passion  of  the  ascetic  had  suddenly  broken 
through  the  dams,  which  moderation  had  set  up  to  re- 
strain its  course. 

Beware  of  the  man  who  professes  to  be  above  human 
passion,  who  glories  in  his  iron  will  and  his  heart  of  ice  ; 
avoid  him  and  the  quiet,  holy,  studious  man  of  soft 
tongue,who  turns  away  his  eyes  from  women,  and  shuns 
what  others  enjoy.     It  is  upon  such  as  these  that  out- 


THE    SLAVE    OF    THE    BLACK    DL\MONDS  25 

raged  human  nature  revenges  itself  ;  and  once  the  demon 
within  gets  loose,  he  plays  a  fine  game  to  indemnify  him- 
self for  all  the  restraint  he  has  undergone.  The  love  of 
the  worldling  is  a  small  dog  ;  that  of  the  hermit  is  a  lion. 

With  this  wild  beast,  which  he  had  suddenly  unchained, 
did  Ivan,  the  man  of  science,  spend  the  long  night,  now 
walking  up  and  down  the  narrow  room,  now  throwing  him- 
self on  his  bed,  a  prey  to  the  most  horrible  temptations, 
his  heart  beating  with  a  thousand  passionate  desires,  his 
thoughts  running  in  as  many  evil  directions.  The  oppo- 
sition that  had  been  made  to  its  wishes  by  Evila  had 
stimulated  his  passion,  and  also  roused  the  pride  of  his 
nature.  The  master  of  the  Bondavara  mine  was  a  man 
of  fiery  temper,  kept  in  check  by  his  strong  command 
over  himself ;  but  this  command  seemed  now  at  fault. 
He  had  no  longer  any  power  to  lay  this  demon,  which 
had  got  possession  of  him,  tempting  him  from  every  side. 
With  his  powerful  fist  he  struck  himself  a  blow  upon  his 
chest,  near  to  his  throbbing  heart. 

"  Wilt  thou  be  silent  ?  Who  is  master,  thou  or  I  ?  Do 
thy  duty,  slave.  I  am  thy  lord,  thy  king.  Thy  duty  con- 
sists in  nothing  but  keeping  my  arteries  in  motion,  in 
pumping  the  air  into  my  lungs,  in  forcing  the  blood  in 
the  right  direction.  When  you  cease  your  work,  your  ill- 
ness is  atrophy;  but  you  cannot  be  my  master,  for  the 
sovereign  ruler  is  my  will." 

And  as  Ivan  beat  his  breast,  it  seemed  to  him  as  if 
in  a  magic  mirror  there  were  reflected  two  forms — him- 
self and  another  Ivan,  with  whom  he  waged  a  deadly 
combat.  It  appeared  to  him  as  if  this  other  self  had 
robbed  him  of  his  form  and  features,  to  perpetrate  in 
his  name  the  most  odious  sins,  and  as  he  hit  out  against 
this  horrid  image  of  himself,  it  slowly  vanished;  and 
then  Ivan,  falling  back  upon  his  pillow^,  cried  out  in  a 


26  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

loud  voice,  "  Never  return,   O    fiend ;    never  defile   my 
sight  again  !" 

In  another  hour,  pale  and  exhausted,  Ivan  was  seated 
quietly  before  his  desk.  It  required  an  heroic  effort  on 
his  part  to  go  into  prosaic  calculations,  to  add  up  long 
columns  of  figures ;  but  he  forced  his  weary  brain,  his 
tired  fingers  to  the  task,  and  the  slave  obeyed  its  master, 
the  body  submitted  to  the  mind. 


CHAPTER   III 
THE     MAN-EATER 

The  morning  light  found  Ivan  still  seated  at  his  table. 
As  daybreak  and  lamplight  did  not  agree,  he  extinguish- 
ed his  lamp,  threw  aside  his  papers,  and  gave  himself  a 
momentary  rest. 

He  had  conquered  ;  he  was  himself  again.  All  the 
fire  of  passion  had  died  out,  the  sinful  images  had  van- 
ished, and  in  his  breast  reigned  profound  peace.  He 
had  resolved  upon  his  course ;  an  angel  had  been  at  his 
side  and  inspired  him. 

It  was  Sunday  morning.  The  engines  which  work  the 
distillery  were  at  rest.  On  Sundays  the  enormous  water- 
basin,  or  trough,  which  fed  the  steam-pump  was  utilized 
to  remove  the  dirt  of  the  week  from  the  miners.  From 
six  to  seven  the  basin  was  free  to  the  women,  from  half- 
past  seven  to  nine  to  the  men.  The  keys  of  the  great 
pump-house  were  given  over  by  the  machine  superintend- 
ent on  every  Saturday  night  to  Ivan,  so  that  no  curious 
or  peeping  Tom  of  Coventry  could  hide  himself  there, 
and  see  these  Venuses  bathing  through  a  little  window, 
which  gave  upon  the  basin,  and  which  was  placed  there 
to  allow  the  stoker  to  see  that  the  water-course  was  not 
disturbed  when  the  pumps  were  at  work. 

It  had  never  once  entered  Ivan's  brain  that  he  could 
play  Tom  if  he  were  so  minded.  But  on  this  Sunday 
morning  he  took  the  key  from  its  nail  and  put  it  in  his 


28  BLACK  dia:\ionds 

pocket.  Don't  start ;  he  did  this,  not  between  six  and 
seven,  but  shortly  after  eight  o'clock.  He  wanted  to  see 
the  men  bathing,  unseen  himself.  And  wherefore  ?  Be- 
cause he  knew  the  customs  which  prevail  in  coal-mines, 
and  that  when  a  pair  are  engaged,  it  is  customary  to  in- 
scribe the  name  of  the  girl  upon  the  man's  naked  body. 
Where  the  miners  have  got  this  Indian  and  savage 
method  is  hard  to  say.  There  is  a  certain  tenderness  in 
it,  and  tenderness  is  more  often  found  with  the  savage 
than  the  civilized  man.  The  lovers  tattoo  themselves 
with  a  needle,  upon  the  arm  or  shoulder,  and  then  rub  in 
a  corrosive  acid,  either  red  or  blue.  Such  a  testimony 
is  ineffaceable.  Sometimes  some  poetic  temperament 
adds  two  hearts  transfixed  by  an  arrow,  or  a  couple  of 
doves,  or  it  may  be  the  signs  of  the  miner — the  mallet  and 
the  pick.  It  occasionally  happens  that  the  relations 
alter,  and  the  lover  would  gladly  remove  the  name  of  the 
fickle  one  from  his  album.  This  can  be  done  by  placing 
a  blister  over  the  name,  and  then  the  writing  vanishes, 
together  with  the  skin ;  a  new  skin  grows,  and  upon  this 
a  new  name  can  be  written.  It  is  a  real  palimpsest. 
Many  are  not  so  discreet.  They  punctuate  a  fresh  name 
under  the  old  one,  and  let  the  register  increase,  until 
sometimes  there  is  not  a  vacant  place. 

It  did  not  give  Ivan  much  trouble  to  find  the  man 
he  sought.  As  soon  as  the  water  removed  the  black 
soot  from  the  bodies  of  the  bathers,  he  saw  on  the 
shoulder  of  one  of  them  the  name  of  Evila,  the  letters 
in  blue,  two  hearts  in  red.  His  rival  was  an  intelligent, 
most  industrious  laborer;  he  was  called  Peter  Saffran, 
and  his  comrades  had  added  the  nickname — the  man- 
eater.  To  this  misnomer  Peter  had  never  taken  any 
umbrage.  He  was  a  particularly  quiet  man,  and  when 
they  teased  him  he  took  no  notice.     He   never  com- 


THE    MAN-EATER  29 

plained  of  anything,  and  never  entered  either  the 
church  or  the  tavern.  Towards  children  he  had  a  par- 
ticular antipathy.  If  one  came  near  him  he  drove  it 
away,  ground  his  teeth  together,  and  threw  anything  he 
had  in  his  hand  at  it.  This  peculiarity  was  so  well 
known  that  the  mothers  always  cautioned  the  little  ones 
against  the  man-eater.  For  the  rest,  he  was  on  good 
terms  with  every  one. 

Ivan,  having  found  what  he  wanted,  left  the  pump- 
house  and  returned  home,  placing  himself  before  the 
door,  so  that  he  could  see  the  people  as  they  went  by 
presently  in  groups  towards  the  neighboring  village  to 
the  church.  He  noticed  that  Evila  was  among  them. 
He  examined  her  critically  and  in  cold  blood,  and  he 
came  to  quite  a  scientific  conclusion  as  to  the  peculiar 
character  of  her  beauty,  which  showed  a  mixture  of 
races.  The  small  hands  and  feet,  the  slender  form,  the 
narrow  forehead,  the  finely  cut  nose,  the  silky  black 
hair— all  spoke  the  Indian  or  Hindoo  type;  but  the 
short  upper  lip  and  the  long,  serpent-like  eyebrows 
were  derivable  from  some  Slav  ancestor.  The  starry, 
seductive  eyes  were  decidedly  Eastern,  the  chin  and  the 
coloring  recalled  the  Malay  race,  and  the  quick,  sud- 
den rising  of  the  red  blood  to  the  velvet  cheek  the 
Caucasian  —  for  this  people  blush  constantly,  owing 
to  the  cellular  texture  being  fine  almost  to  transpar- 
ency. 

Ivan  pondered  on  all  this  as  Evila  passed  him ;  he 
wondered  also  why  her  lover  was  not  with  her,  for  this 
was  an  established  custom  in  Bondavara.  Peter,  how- 
ever, evidently  did  not  mind  these  rules  of  courtship ; 
he  was  lounging  on  one  of  the  benches  outside  the  gates 
of  the  ventilation-oven,  close  to  the  pitmouth,  his  head 
in  the  air,  his  chin  in  his  hand. 


30  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Ivan  went  to  him.  "  Good-morning,  Peter.  What  are 
you  doing  there,  my  man  .?" 

"  I  am  listening  to  the  wind  that  is  coming  from  be- 
low." 

"  Why  don't  you  go  to  church  ?" 

"  Because  I  never  pray  at  all." 

"  And  why  not  ?" 

"I  do  nobody  any  harm.  I  neither  rob  nor  murder, 
and  if  there  is  a  God,  He  knows  better  than  I  do  what 
is  good  for  me." 

"  You  are  quite  wrong  there,  Peter.  In  these  matters 
there  is  an  immense  difference  between  educated  peo- 
ple and  what  are  called  the  children  of  Nature.  I  have 
my  science  and  thought  to  fall  back  on — my  intellect 
is  my  guide,  and  preserves  me  from  temptation  ;  but 
with  you,  and  men  like  you,  it  is  otherwise.  Those  who 
have  no  other  knowledge  but  v.'hat  concerns  their  daily 
labor  have  need  of  faith,  of  hope,  of  consolation,  and 
of  forgiveness."  As  he  spoke,  Ivan  seated  himself  be- 
side the  other  and  laid  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder. 
"  Something  is  on  your  mind,  Peter?" 

Peter  nodded.    "  There  is  something." 

"  Does  it  weigh  on  your  soul  ?" 

"  On  my  soul,  on  my  body — everywhere  !" 

"  Is  it  a  secret,  Peter  ?" 

"  No,  it  is  not.    If  you  care  to  hear  it,  I  will  tell  it  you." 

"  A  murder .?" 

"  Worse  than  that." 

"  Don't  you  think  you  had  better  not  tell  it  to  me  ? 
It  may  place  you  in  danger." 

"There  is  no  danger  for  me.  If  it  were  published 
on  the  Market  Cross,  the  law  could  not  touch  me ;  be- 
sides, most  people  know  it.  You  would  hear  it  from 
some  one  else  if  not  from  me." 


THE    MAN-EATER 


31 


"Then  tell  me." 

"  It  is  a  short  story.    When  I  was  only  a  lad,  not  quite 
twenty,  I  went  to  sea  to  seek  my  fortune.     I  bound  my- 
self as  stoker  on  board  a  Trieste  steamboat.     We  sailed 
with  a  cargo  of  meal  to  the  Brazils.     Our  voyage  there 
was    prosperous.     On   our   return  we   took  black    cof- 
fee and  wool.     On  this  side  of  the  equator  we  met  a 
tornado,  which   broke   our  engine,  smashed   our   main- 
mast, and  drove  the  vessel  upon  a  sandbank,  where  she 
foundered.     Some  of  the  passengers  took  to  the  boat ; 
they  went  only  a  short  way  when  she  upset,  and  they 
were  all  drowned.    The  rest  made  a  raft  from  the  planks 
of  the  sunken  ship,  and  trusted  to  this  frail  thing  on  the 
open  sea.     I  was  one  of  them.     We  were  in  all  thirty- 
nine,  including  the  captain,  the  steersman,  and  a  mer- 
chant from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  with  his  wife  and  a  three- 
year-old   child.      We    had    no    other   woman    or   child, 
for  the  rest  had  perished  in  the  open  boat.    We  thought 
them   unfortunate,  but  now  I  think  they  were    happy. 
Better,  far  better,  to  have  died  then.     Out  of  our  thirty- 
nine,  soon  only  nine  remained.     Oh,  how  I  wish  I  had 
been  among  the  dead !     For  eight  days  we  floated  upon 
the  water,  the  sport  of  the  waves  ;  now  buffeted  here 
and  there,   again    in   a  calm,  immovable,   nailed    as    it 
were  to  the  ocean,  without  one  drop  of  water  to  quench 
our  thirst  or  one  morsel  of  food.     Ten  of  us  had  died 
of  hunger.     For  two  days  we  had  never  eaten,  and  the 
ninth  day  came,  and  no  hope  of  succor.     The  sun  was 
burning  us  up,  and  the  water  reflected  the  heat,  so  that 
we  lay  between  two  fires.     Oh,  the  horror  of  that  awful 
time !     That  evening  we  took  the  resolve  that  one  of 
us  should  be  a  victim  for  the  others— that  is,  that  we 
should  draw  lots  which  should  be  eaten  by  the  others. 
We    threw  our   names    into    a   hat,  and  we    made    the 


32  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

innocent  child  draw  for  us.     Tiiat  child  drew  its  own 
name. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,  sir,  the  rest  of  the  ghastly  busi- 
ness. Often  I  dream  the  whole  thing  over  again,  and  I 
always  awake  at  the  moment  when  the  miserable 
mother  cursed  all  those  who  partook  of  that  horrible 
meal,  invoking  heaven  that  we  might  never  again  have 
peace.  At  the  recollection  of  her  words  I  spring  out 
of  my  bed,  I  run  into  the  woods  and  wait,  to  see  if  I 
shall  be  changed  into  a  wolf.  It  would  serve  me 
right. 

"Of  the  partakers  of  the  cursed  meal  I  am  the  only 
survivor.  The  thought  haunts  me ;  it  burns  into  my 
very  soul.  Besides  my  own  blood,  the  blood  of  another 
human  being  circulates  in  my  veins.  Fearful  thoughts 
pursue  me.  The  piece  of  human  flesh  that  I  have  eaten 
is  in  me  still ;  it  has  taken  away  all  wish  for  any  other 
food.  I  understand  the  delight  of  the  cannibals.  I 
never  see  a  rosy-faced  child  without  thinking  what  a 
delicious  morsel  his  little  rounded  arm  would  be.  When 
I  behold  a  sickly,  pale  baby,  the  idea  at  once  occurs  to 
me — Why  let  it  live  ?     Would  it  not  be  better — " 

He  shuddered,  and  stood  up.  He  hid  his  hands  in 
his  blouse,  and  after  a  pause,  went  on — 

"  Tell  me  now,  sir,  is  there  any  relief  for  what  I  suffer? 
Is  there  a  physician  who  can  cure  me,  or  a  priest  who 
will  absolve  me  ?  I  have  told  my  story  to  both  priest 
and  doctor,  and  one  has  enjoined  me  to  fast  and  to 
chastise  myself,  the  other  to  drink  no  brandy  and  to 
have  myself  bled.  Neither  of  them  is  worth  a  straw, 
and  such  counsel  only  makes  the  matter  worse." 

"  I  will  advise  you,"  said  Ivan.     "  Marry." 

Saffran  looked  with  some  surprise  at  his  employer, 
and  after  a  minute  a  feeble  smile  stole  over  his  face. 


THE    MAN-EATER 


33 


"I  have  thought  of  that.     Perhaps  if  I  had  children 
of  my  own  this  horror  of  them  would  disappear." 
"Then  why  don't  you  marry?" 

"Because  I  am  such  a  poor  devil.  If  two  beggars 
come  together,  then  you  have  a  couple  of  paupers  in- 
stead of  one.  One  must  first  have  something  to  live 
on." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  you  are  an  industrious  fellow.  I 
have  long  wanted  to  have  you  as  a  first-class  pitman, 
but  I  waited  to  advance  you  until  you  got  married.  It 
is  my  rule  to  give  all  the  best  places  to  married  men. 
I  have  found  by  experience  that  the  unmarried  ones, 
when  they  get  higher  pay,  go  straight  to  the  bad.  There 
is  more  dependence  to  be  placed  in  a  married  man  ;  he 
won't  leave  his  place  for  a  mere  nothing.  Therefore, 
consider  the  matter.  After  the  first  Saturday  on  which 
you  can  tell  me  that  you  have  been  called  in  church 
with  your  intended,  you  will  receive  the  pay  of  a  pitman, 
and  I  shall  give  you  a  dwelling-house  for  yourself." 

Peter's  face  was  a  study.  He  could  not  believe  that 
what  he  heard  was  real  earnest.  When  this  was  made 
clear  to  him,  he  was  ready  to  fall  at  the  feet  of  his  bene- 
factor; he  almost  sobbed  as  he  stammered  forth  some 
words  of  thanks. 

"Now,"  cried  Ivan,  with  friendly  encouragement,  "to- 
day is  a  Sunday.  Does  nothing  occur  to  you,  my 
friend  ?" 

The  man  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"  Service  has  not  yet  begun,"  went  on  Ivan  ;  "  the 
congregation  have  not  all  arrived  at  the  church  yet.  I 
think  there  would  be  time  for  you  to  catch  up  your  bride 
and  go  with  her  to  the  clergyman." 

Peter  said  no  word  to  this  proposal,  but  he  began  to 
run ;  his  legs  were  long,  and  he  was  soon  out  of  sight. 


34  BLACK   DIAMONDS 

He  was  bareheaded ;  he  had  forgotten  his  hat  upon  the 
seat.  Ivan  saw  it,  and  took  it  into  his  house  to  keep, 
but  he  stood  looking  after  the  fleet  lover  until  he  had 
disappeared  behind  the  stone  wall  at  the  turning.  Then 
he  went  in,  with  Saffran's  hat  in  his  hand. 

"How  happy  he  is  !"  he  thought,  and  sighed. 

When  he  was  in  his  room  he  wrote  in  his  day-book 
that  from  the  following  day,  Monday,  he  had  engaged 
Peter  Saffran  as  a  first-class  pitman  with  the  usual  wages, 
and  that  in  his  place  another  day-laborer  should  be 
taken  on.  When  he  had  closed  the  book,  his  heart 
whispered — 

"  My  cruel  master,  art  thou  content  ?" 

But  Ivan  had  his  misgivings,  and  answered  his  heart 
thus — 

"  I  doii't  believe  in  you,  since  I  have  seen  how  easy  it 
was  for  you  to  slip  on  the  ice.  I  must  for  the  future 
watch  closely.  I  am  not  sure  of  the  purity  of  my  own 
motives  even  now.  God  knows  what  lies  under  this 
apparent  abnegation.  Perhaps  you  think  as  a  young 
wife —  But  I  shall  watch  you  closely,  traitorous  heart 
of  mine ;  you  shall  lead  me  into  no  more  pitfalls." 

Again  he  consulted  his  account-book,  and  found  that 
the  increase  in  this  year's  income  allowed  him  to  take 
on  an  overseer  at  a  very  fair  salary.  He  wrote  out  the 
proper  advertisement,  and  despatched  it  that  very  even- 
ing to  different  papers  for  insertion.  In  this  way  he 
wouki  not  be  thrown  into  daily  contact  with  his  work- 
people. 


CHAPTER   IV 
A    MODERN    ALCHEMIST 

A  FORTNIGHT  had  passed  since  Ivan  sent  his  adver- 
tisement for  insertion,  when,  one  morning,  and  again  it 
was  Saturday  morning,  Peter  Saffran  came  and  told  him 
that  two  gentlemen  had  just  arrived,  who  wished  to  see 
the  mine. 

''  They  must  be  foreigners,"  he  added,  "  since  they 
spoke  French  together."  Peter's  life  as  a  sailor  had 
given  him  some  knowledge  of  the  French  tongue. 

"I  shall  be  wdth  them  immediately,"  returned  Ivan, 
who  was  busy  pouring  a  green  liquid  through  a  pointed 
felt  hat.  ''  Let  them  meanwhile  get  into  the  usual 
miner's  dress." 

"That  is  already  done ;  they  are  all  ready  for  you." 

"  Very  good.  I  am  going.  And  how  are  you  getting 
on,  Peter?" 

"  With  the  wedding  ?  Everything  is  in  order ;  to-mor- 
row we  shall  be  called  in  church  for  the  third  time." 

"  And  when  shall  you  be  betrothed  .?" 

"  It  is  just  now  Advent,  and  our  priest  will  not  marry 
us ;  but  on  the  first  Sunday  after  the  Three  Kings  we 
shall  have  the  wedding.  I  am  not  at  all  annoyed  at  the 
delay,  for  I  have  to  get  together  a  little  money.  When 
a  man  marries  he  must  have  all  sorts  of  things — furni- 
ture and  the  like ;  and  something  for  the  cold  winter 
into  the  bargain." 


36  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  And  have  you  put  by  nothing  out  of  your  wages  ?" 

"Yes,  sir;  I  had  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  gulden  laid 
by.  I  had  spared  everything  on  myself  —  food  and 
drink,  and  even  the  pipe — and  I  had  got  together  this 
sum.  Then  what  should  the  devil  do  but  bring  the  re- 
cruiting commission  down  here,  and  I  had  to  give  all 
my  money  into  the  greasy  palm  of  the  examining  doctor, 
so  that  he  might  report  me  as  being  unfit  for  service 
because  I  squinted.  It's  a  trick  I  have.  I  can  squint 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  together,  although  my  eyes  are 
straight ;  on  this  account  I  shall  be  let  off  by  the  doctor, 
but  my  hundred  and  fifty  gulden  are  gone.  I  shall  have 
to  squint  at  the  marriage  ceremony,  for  the  priest  only 
marries  me  because  I  am  unfit  for  service." 

"  Well,  Peter,  you  may  count  upon  some  help  from 
me." 

"Thank  you,  sir,  but  I  don't  like  loans;  that  is  like 
eating  one's  supper  at  dinner." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  place  where  the 
strangers  were  waiting. 

"  Ah,"  cried  Ivan,  "  so  it  is  you,  Felix !"  and  he  held 
out  his  hand  cordially  to  the  visitor. 

The  old  acquaintance  whom  Ivan  called  Felix  looked 
as  if  he  belonged  to  another  generation.  His  soft  com- 
plexion, carefully  waxed  mustache,  short  imperial,  his 
fine,  dark-blue  eyes,  and  particularly  the  shape  of  his 
head,  and  the  way  it  was  placed  on  his  shoulders,  taken 
together  with  his  elegant  dress,  which  the  rough  miner's 
blouse  could  not  quite  conceal,  betrayed  the  man  of  the 
world.  When  he  spoke,  his  voice  was  almost  womanly; 
the  tone  was  clear  and  high,  like  one  of  the  Pope's 
choir. 

Felix  hastened  at  once  to  put  his  friend's  mind  at 
ease  upon  a  necessary  part  of  his  visit. 


A    MODERN    ALCHEMIST  37 

"I  hope  you  will  forgive  our  putting  up  at  the  inn. 
I  was  sure  you  would  have  made  us  welcome,  but  you 
are  a  busy  man,  and  you  would  not  care  to  be  at  the 
bother  of  entertaining  us ;  besides,  like  all  men  of  busi- 
ness, you  are,  I  dare  say,  a  little  in  the  rough,  and  the 
inn  is  really  very  comfortable.  May  I  introduce  you  to 
my  travelling  companion,  Gustav  Raune  ?  He  is  a  mine- 
surveyor  and  engineer." 

Ivan  was  well  pleased  at  his  friend's  forethought  in 
the  matter  of  hospitality;  not  that  he  would  not  have 
made  him  welcome  so  far  as  lay  in  his  power  —  and 
there  were  unoccupied  rooms  in  the  house  which  would 
have  accommodated  the  two  men — but  his  manner  of 
life  would  have  been  disturbed.  He  had  never  for  one 
moment  thought  of  entertaining  a  guest. 

"  My  house,"  he  said,  frankly,  "  is  not  fitted  to  re- 
ceive my  friends,  and,  indeed,  none  come ;  but  the  inn 
is  also  mine.  I  trust  you  will  consider  yourselves  my 
guests  while  you  remain  here." 

"  We  accept  your  offer,"  returned  the  other ;  "  the 
more  readily,  since  we  have  really  come  here  on  your 
business.  Yesterday  I  read  your  advertisement.  You 
require  an  overseer  ?" 

"I  do."    Ivan  looked  doubtfully  at  the  two  gentlemen. 

"No,  no  ;  it  is  not  for  me,"  laughed  Felix.  "  I  under- 
stand nothing  of  the  business;  but  Raune  is  inclined 
to  join  you,  should  he  find  that  there  are  capabilities 
here  for  real  work.  Raune  is  an  old  friend  of  mine. 
He  has  learned  his  business  under  Erenzoter.  You 
know  the  firm  of  Erenzoter.?  He  is  thoroughly  up  in 
the  whole  thing." 

Raune  all  this  time  said  not  a  word,  perhaps  for  the 
best  of  reasons,  that,  being  a  Frenchman,  he  did  not 
understand  the  language  in  which  the  others  spoke.    He 


38  BLACK   DIAMONDS 

was  a  small  man,  slight,  and  well-made,  with  penetrat- 
ing eyes,  a  sharp-cut  face,  and  very  long  mustache. 

To  this  gentleman  Ivan  explained  in  fluent  French 
that  he  would  be  glad  to  show  him  all  the  properties 
of  the  Bondavara  mine  before  going  closer  into  the 
matter  of  engaging  him  permanently. 

After  these  courtesies  they  went  down  into  the  pit. 
Here  the  two  men  were  soon  convinced  that  each  was 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  whole  machinery  and 
working  of  a  mine.  Sometimes  they  held  different 
opinions  upon  certain  systems,  and  in  the  dispute  or 
argument  which  would  arise  each  disputant  saw  that  the 
other  had  nothing  to  learn  from  him. 

Raune  displayed  extraordinary  quickness  and  knowl- 
edge in  valuing  the  coal  stratum.  Even  without  look- 
ing at  the  geometrical  maps  he  was  able  to  decide 
upon  the  probable  profit,  as  also  upon  the  probable 
extent  of  the  layer  or  stratum  beyond  the  actual  ground 
covered  by  Ivan's  pit.  His  valuation  agreed  in  almost 
every  particular  with  that  already  made  by  Ivan.  By 
mid-day  the  inspection  was  over,  and  they  went  to  the 
inn  for  dinner,  having  first  given  some  time  to  washing 
and  general  purification.  A  visit  to  a  pit  is  by  no  means 
a  cleanly  undertaking. 

The  afternoon  was  devoted  to  the  inspection  of  the 
distilling-ovens,  and  in  the  evening  they  went  over  the 
foundry.  When  they  returned  from  the  foundry,  Felix 
went  in  with  Ivan  to  his  house,  while  Raune  returned  to 
the  inn. 

Ivan  led  his  old  acquaintance  into  his  workroom, 
where,  in  truth,  a  wonderful  disorder  prevailed,  cleared 
a  chair,  full  of  maps  and  books,  for  him  to  sit  upon, 
and  told  him  to  light  his  cigar  at  a  chemical  lamp  of  a 
new  construction.     After  a  pause  Felix  began  : 


A    MODERN    ALCHEMIST 


39 


"  You  were  always  of  an  inquiring  mind,  Ivan.  I  re- 
member well  how  at  college  you  distanced  every  one. 
As  for  me,  I  was  a  pygmy  near  a  giant.  Now,  tell  me 
truly,  have  all  your  science,  your  industry,  and  your 
physical  exertions  made  you  a  rich  man  ?" 

Ivan  laughed.  "  This  mine  gives  me  an  annual  in- 
come of  ten  thousand  gulden." 

"In  other  words,  it  produces  nothing,  or,  at  least, 
next  to  nothing.  You  are  director,  overseer,  cashier, 
engineer,  secretary,  bookkeeper,  and  conveyer  of  goods, 
and  you  receive,  roughly  calculated,  just  what  you  would 
have  to  pay  these  employes  if  you  had  not  united  all 
their  different  offices  in  yourself.  In  other  words,  your 
work,  your  talent,  your  studies,  your  zeal,  your  expendi- 
ture of  thought  and  strength  upon  this  mine  of  yours 
only  bring  you  in  the  miserable  return  which  any  pro- 
prietor would  give  to  a  man  who  filled  only  one  of 
these  offices.  As  a  fact,  you  don't  get  a  farthing 
by  it." 

"The  mine  is  not  to  blame,  neither  am  I ;  it  is  the 
result  of  a  small  consumption,  and,  in  consequence  of 
this,  the  production  cannot  be  increased." 

"  I  will  tell  you  in  two  words  where  the  fault  lies.  In 
the  present  day  strength  is  alone  to  be  found  in  co-opera- 
tion. In  the  political  world  the  smaller  states  go  to  the 
wall ;  they  are  forced  to  tack  themselves  on  to  larger 
ones,  and  so  form  a  union.  It  is  the  same  in  the  com- 
mercial world ;  small  tradesmen  must  give  way  to  the 
larger  co-operative  centres,  and  it  is  better  for  them  to 
understand  this,  and  make  part  of  a  company." 

"There  is  no  danger  of  our  foundry  closing;  our  iron 
and  our  coal  take  a  first  place,  and  could  not  be  crushed 
out." 

"An  additional  reason  for  developing  my  idea  —  an 


40  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

idea  which,  I  may  as  well  tell  you,  was  the  factor  that 
brought  nie  here.  You  have  already  guessed,  I  imagine, 
that  I  am  not  such  a  good  fellow  as  to  undertake 
the  journey  solely  on  Raune''s  account.  He  is  not  a 
chicken,  and  could  have  introduced  himself.  I  have  a 
great  plan  in  my  head.  I  intend  to  make  you  a  wealthy 
man,  and,  naturally,  I  shall  feather  my  own  nest  at  the 
same  time." 

''  How  so  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know  where  I  once  read  this  short  synopsis 
of  how  different  nations  acquire  money :  '  The  Hun- 
garian seeks  it,  the  German  earns  it,  the  Frenchman 
wins  it,  and  the  American  makes  it.'  It  is  a  most 
characteristic  description.  You  have  only  to  watch  the 
Hungarian,  how  he  seeks  in  every  hole  and  puddle  for  a 
piece  of  gold ;  the  German  will  work  in  the  sweat  of  his 
brow  till  he  gets  his  reward,  a  piece  of  gold  ;  the  light- 
hearted  Frenchman  will  win  the  last  piece  of  gold  his 
victim  has  ;  but  the  Yankee  sits  in  a  corner,  gnaws  his 
finger-nails,  and  makes  his  pile.  Yes,  gold  lies,  in  undis- 
covered millions,  only  waiting  to  be  'made.'" 

"  Where  does  it  lie?" 

"  In  the  capabilities  of  life,  in  bold  undertakings,  in 
the  concealed  treasures  of  the  earth,  which  require  de- 
velopment, and  in  the  outlay  of  capital ;  in  new  discov- 
eries, in  the  extension  of  the  means  of  communication, 
in  the  increase  of  luxury,  in  the  follies  of  mankind,  in 
the  exertions  made  by  scientists  ;  and  especially  in  the 
money-box  where  small  capitalists  keep  their  gold,  which 
should  circulate  through  large  channels  to  be  of  use. 
The  number  of  small  capitals  should  be  thrown  into  one 
large,  commercial  mart,  and  by  means  of  this  credit 
every  gulden  would  bring  in  three  times  its  value.  This 
is  the  art  of  the  American  ;  this  is  how  to  make  a  pile  of 


A    MODERN    ALCHEMIST  4I 

gold.  It  is  a  splendid  art,  an  honest  art,  and  it  seems  to 
thrive  with  those  who  adopt  it." 

When  he  had  concluded  this  rather  long-winded  exor- 
dium, Felix  threw  himself  back  in  his  chair  with  an  air 
as  who  should  say,  "  Are  you  not  dazzled  with  the  brill- 
iancy of  my  conception.'*  Is  not  Felix  Kanlmann  one  of 
the  greatest  financiers  of  the  day  ?  Surely  you  are  con- 
vinced that  he  is." 

So  far  as  that  went,  the  name  had  a  fair  reputation. 
The  Kaulmanns  had  always  been  in  finance,  and  were 
well-known  bankers.  Of  late,  since  Felix  had  inherited 
the  business  from  his  father,  the  firm  were  more  before 
the  public.  Ivan  knew  his  old  schoolfellow  well  ;  he 
looked  at  him  now  quietly. 

"  How  do  you  propose  to  make  a  pile  out  of  my  pit?" 

"  I  have  a  big  scheme  in  my  head." 

"But  the  whole  pit  is  anything  but  big." 

"  So  it  appears  to  you,  because  you  don't  view  it  from 
my  standpoint.  You  have  sought  for  diamonds  in  the 
mine,  but  it  has  never  occurred  to  you  that  there  may  be 
iron  ore.  This  pit  produces,  you  tell  me,  a  profit  of  ten 
thousand  gulden;  that  is  the  interest  of  two  hundred 
thousand  florins.  I  can  get  you  a  company  who  will  buy 
the  whole  place  out  and  out  for  two  hundred  thousand 
florins." 

"  But  I  would  not  part  with  my  pit  at  any  price.  I  am 
here  in  my  element,  like  the  mud-w^orm  in  the  mud." 

"You  need  not  leave  it— certainly  not;  on  the  con- 
trary, if  you  wished  to  go,  I  would  keep  you  chained,  if 
necessary.  The  company  wdll  start  with  a  recognized 
capital  of  four  millions  ;  we  will  form  a  large  business, 
which  on  one  side  will  ruin  Prussian  coal,  on  the  other 
side  will  drive  the  English  iron  out  of  market.  You 
shall  be  the  principal  director  of  the  business,  with  a 


42  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

yearly  salary  of  ten  thousand  florins,  and  two  shares  in 
the  business  ;  besides  which  you  will  be  allowed  to  take, 
if  you  wish  it,  a  portion  of  the  purchase-money  in  bonds 
at  par,  and  these  will  bear  interest  at  twenty  per  cent. 
You  will  enjoy  an  income  of  thirty  thousand  florins,  in- 
stead of  your  beggarly  ten  thousand  florins,  which  you 
now  have,  and,  into  the  bargain,  hardly  any  work." 

Ivan  listened  to  this  proposal  without  interrupting  the 
speaker.  When  Felix  had  finished,  he  said,  in  a  calm 
voice — 

"  My  dear  Felix,  if  I  were  to  propose  to  a  company 
ready  provided  with  four  millions  the  purchase  of  a  busi- 
ness which  up  to  the  present  had  only  produced  ten 
thousand  guldens  profit,  and  which  profit  could  never  in 
the  future  realize  more  than  eight  hundred  thousand 
gulden,  do  you  not  think  I  would  be  a  despicable  vil- 
lain ^  If,  on  the  other  hand,  I  placed  my  own  mon- 
ey in  such  a  company,  I  should  be  equally  a  perfect 
fool." 

At  this  clear  definition  of  his  recent  proposal  Felix 
burst  into  a  peal  of  laughter.  Then,  passing  his  pliant 
little  walking-stick  behind  his  back,  he  placed  both  his 
hands  on  the  ends,  and  said  with  an  air  of  profound 
wisdom — 

"  You  have  not  heard  all  my  plan.  It  has  not  alto- 
gether to  do  with  your  colony.  You  know  well  that  your 
pit  is  only  a  small  portion  of  the  monster  coal  stratum 
of  the  Bonda  Valley,  which  stretches  far  away — as  far, 
indeed,  as  Muld  Valley.  I  intend  to  buy  this  entire  re- 
gion ;  it  can  be  had  now  for  a  mere  song,  and  when 
properly  worked  it  will  be  worth  millions — millions 
earned  by  honest  means.  No  stealing  or  taking  unfair 
advantage  of  any  one.  We  only  raise  a  treasure  which 
lies  at  our  feet,  so  to  speak,  which  is  there  ready  for  us, 


A    MODERN    ALCHEMIST 


43 


or  for  any  one.  It  needs  only  sufficient  strength  on  the 
part  of  those  who  Hft  it." 

"  That  is  quite  another  thing.  Now  I  can  understand 
your  scheme.  I  will  also  not  contradict  your  assertion 
that  it  is  lawful  and  generous;  but  it  is  just  because  it 
is  so  that  it  is  full  of  holes.  It  is  quite  true  that  the 
treasure  which  lies  concealed  in  the  Bonda  Valley  is  im- 
mense— it  is  possible  that  it  represents  millions  ;  but  this 
treasure  cannot  be  discovered,  for  the  Bondavara  prop- 
erty is  not  for  sale.^' 

"  Really !" 

"  I  will  tell  you  why ;  because  at  this  moment  it  be- 
longs to  Prince  Bondavary,  who  is  one  of  the  richest 
men  in  this  country." 

"  I  should  imagine  that  no  one  knows  better  than  I 
do  how  rich  he  is." 

"  In  the  next  place,  this  man  is  one  of  the  proudest  of 
our  aristocrats,  to  whom  I,  for  one,  would  not  venture  to 
make  the  proposal  to  turn  his  old  family  property — the 
cradle,  we  might  say,  of  his  race — into  a  mine  to  be 
worked  by  a  company." 

"  Oh,  so  far  as  that  goes,  we  have  seen  many  an  an- 
cient race  glad  to  do  a  bit  of  commercial  dirt.  The 
King  of  Italy  is  a  crowned  king ;  and,  nevertheless,  he  has 
sold  Savoy,  the  place  from  which  his  family  took  their 
name  and  the  right  to  have  a  cross  on  their  shield." 

"  Well,  suppose  the  old  prince  were  inclined  to  sell 
this  property,  he  could  not  do  so  as  long  as  his  sister, 
the  Countess  Bondavary,  is  alive.  Her  father  left  the 
castle  and  the  property  round  about  to  his  daughter, 
who  is  now  nearly  fifty-eight,  and  may  live  yet  another 
thirty  years.  She  has  grown  up  in  that  castle  ;  she  has, 
to  my  knowledge,  never  left  it,  not  even  for  one  day; 
she  hates  the  world,  and  no  human  power  would  induce 


44  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

her  to  part  with  her  beloved  Bondavara  to  a  coal  com- 
pany, not  if  the  last  remaining  stratum  were  to  be  found 
under  the  castle,  and  without  this  the  world  should 
perish  from  want  of  fuel." 

Felix  laughed,  then  answered  with  an  air  of  ineffable 
conceit — 

"  I  have  conquered  greater  difficulties  than  an  old 
maid's  fad,  and  for  the  matter  of  that,  women's  hearts 
are  not  locked  with  a  Bramah  key." 

"  Well,  let  us  suppose,"  said  Ivan,  good-humoredly, 
"that  you  have  overcome  the  prejudices  of  the  prince 
and  his  sister,  and  that  you  have  actually  started  your 
monster  company.  Then  begin  all  the  technical  diffi- 
culties ;  for  what  is  the  first  necessary  to  an  undertaking 
of  the  kind  ?" 

"  A  sufficient  supply  of  money." 

"By  no  means.     A  sufficient  supply  of  workmen." 

"Wherever  money  is  plentiful,  human  beings  are 
pretty  sure  to  flock." 

"  Between  men  and  men  there  is  a  wonderful  differ- 
ence. This  is  an  article  in  which  one  is  likely  to  be 
easily  deceived.  With  us  there  is  a  want  of  first-class 
workmen." 

"  We  would  get  men  from  France  and  Belgium." 

"  But  the  men  who  would  come  from  France  and  Bel- 
gium would  not  work  for  the  wages  we  give  our  men. 
They  would  ask  double.  In  such  a  commercial  under- 
taking, the  first  false  step  would  be  to  raise  the  wages 
to  more  than  the  old  system,  for  my  conviction  is  that 
every  industrial  enterprise  to  be  safe  must  work  upon 
its  own  internal  capabilities.  We  should  measure  our 
strength  according  to  the  circumstances  in  which  we 
find  ourselves,  and  we  should  educate  our  ow^n  work- 
men :    draw  them    to    us   by   learning   together.      The 


A    MODERN    ALCHEMIST  45 

trade  should  extend  slowly,  but  surely,  by  small  ex- 
periments." 

"  You  are  too  cautious.  I  can  convince  you  to  the 
contrary.  For  instance,  a  steam-engine  of  a  hundred- 
horse  power  needs  just  the  same  labor  to  work  it  as  one 
of  four-horse  power  ;  and  a  small  business  requires  as 
many  account-books  as  a  large  one,  and  small  undertak- 
ings in  like  manner,  even  if  they  are  in  themselves 
lucrative,  will  eventually  be  swamped  by  the  larger  ones 
on  account  of  the  want  of  the  proper  activity,  without 
^Yhich  all  trade  dies  of  itself." 

"  Nevertheless,  there  is  less  danger  of  sudden  collapse 
in  a  small  business,"  returned  Ivan,  reflectively.  "  I  like 
a  certainty." 

"And  what  certainty  have  you?  Suppose,  just  for 
the  sake  of  argument,  that  one  bright  morning  the  Aus- 
trian minister  of  trade  listens  to  the  petition  of  the 
English  iron  masters,  and  that  the  free  importation  of 
raw  iron  is  allowed.  Your  neighbor  over  there  will  at 
once  shut  his  foundry,  and  you  may  go  and  sell  your 
coal  to  the  smithy,  eh,  Ivan  ?" 

"  I  have  gone  into  all  that.  Our  raw  iron  can  com- 
pete with  the  English,  and  there  would  be—" 

"Your  ideas  are  rococo ;  they  belong  to  the  last  cen- 
tury. If  America  had  worked  on  these  lines  she  would 
not  have  overshadowed  Europe." 

"That  may  be.  What  I  maintain  is  that  foreign 
workmen  are  a  bad  investment.  Those  who  come  to  us 
are,  for  the  most  part,  men  who  cannot  get  on  in  their 
own  country  ;  restless  fellows,  ever  wanting  ^  change  ; 
members  of  secret  societies,  socialists,  and  atheists  ;  and 
so  soon  as  they  get  among  our  men  they  begin  dissem- 
inating their  vicious  doctrines,  and  the  next  thing  is  a 
strike  for  higher  wages." 


46  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  Have  you  ever  had  a  strike  here  ?" 

"Never!" 

"  How  do  you  prevent  it  ?" 

"  That  is  my  secret,  which  cannot  be  told  in  a  few 
words.  I  am,  however,  convinced  of  one  thing:  the 
first  obstacle  a  company  would  have  to  contend  against 
would  be  the  price  of  labor,  and  the  second  difficulty 
would  be  to  secure  the  services  of  a  really  capable  over- 
seer ;  one  who  would  understand  the  technique  of  the 
business." 

"  We  could  easily  get  one  from  abroad." 

"That  might  be  ;  but  I,  as  a  private  individual,  could 
get  one  easily  if  I  had  sufficient  money  to  pay  him, 
for  I  could  choose  the  best  for  my  purpose,  and  could 
give  him  what  I  chose,  as  far  as  his  merits  deserved." 

Felix  laughed  at  Ivan's  description.  "That  is  it 
exactly,  as  if  you  read  it  out  of  a  book ;  and  just  on  this 
account  I  intend  to  give  the  complete  direction  of  the 
business  to  a  man  who  understands  it  to  a  T,  and  this 
man  is  you." 

"That  is  a  complete  mistake.  I  do  understand  the 
working  of  my  own  small  business,  but  I  am  quite  ig- 
norant of  the  ways  of  a  great  concern.  Like  many 
another  small  man,  I  should  be  a  child  in  the  hands  of 
big  speculators,  and  I  should  probably  wreck  the  whole 
concern." 

"You  are  too  modest.  On  the  contrary,  I  think  you 
would  outwit  the  big  speculators." 

"  Well,  suppose  all  went  according  to  your  wishes,  or, 
rather,  as  it  presents  itself  to  your  imagination.  The 
great  business  is  in  full  swing,  delivers  goods  at  moder- 
ate prices,  and  in  sufficient  quantity.  Now  comes  the 
real  objection  —  the  topographical  impediment.  The 
Bonda  coal-mine  is  twenty  miles  from  the  nearest  rail- 


A    MODERN    ALCHEMIST  47 

way,  and  twenty-five  miles  from  the  nearest  river.  On 
your  way  here  you  must  have  noticed  the  state  of  the 
roads.  During  four  months  of  the  year  we  can  send  no 
freight  to  a  distance,  and  at  any  time  the  cost  of  trans- 
porting our  coal  and  iron  adds  so  much  to  the  price  that 
it  is  impossible  for  us  to  compete  with  either  Prussia  or 
England." 

"  I  know  all  that,"  said  Felix,  stroking  his  beard  with 
the  coral  head  of  his  stick  ;  "  but  a  light  railway  would 
soon  settle  all  this.  We  could  run  it  from  Bonda  Valley 
to  the  principal  emporium."  He  spoke  as  if  running 
light  railways  were  a  mere  trifle. 

"  A  railway  through  the  Bonda  Valley !"  returned 
Ivan,  in  a  tone  of  surprise.  "  And  do  you  really  believe 
that  with  a  capital  of  four  millions  you  could  construct 
a  railway  twenty  miles  long  ?" 

"  Certainly  not.  That  would  be  quite  a  separate 
affair." 

"  And  do  you  think  you  would  find  people  ready  to 
advance  money  for  such  an  uncertain  return  as  mere 
luggage  trafiic  would  insure  to  the  shareholders  in  such 
a  railway  ?" 

Felix  moved  his  stick  from  his  beard  to  his  mouth, 
and  began  to  suck  the  top. 

"And  why  not,"  he  said,  at  last,  "when  the  state 
would  guarantee  a  certain  rate  of  interest  on  the  ad- 
vance ?" 

Ivan  opened  his  eyes  still  wider,  and  placed  upon 
each  word  an  emphasis. 

"  The  state  will  give  to  this  railway  a  guarantee  of 
interest!  You  will  excuse  me,  Kaulmann — that  is  not 
possible." 

Felix  answered,  after  some  consideration,  "There 
are  certain  keys  by  which  the  bureaus  of  even  ministers 


48  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

of  state  can  be  opened."  After  this  oracular  speech  he 
was  silent,  pressing  the  top  of  his  stick  upon  his  lips,  as 
if  to  restrain  his  words. 

Ivan  drew  out  the  drawer  of  his  writing-desk  and 
took  therefrom  a  piece  of  black  bread. 

"  Do  you  see  this  .?  People  who  eat  such  coarse  stuff 
don't  dance  attendance  upon  ministers." 

Felix  threw  his  head  back  with  a  scornful  laugh  and 
twisted  his  stick  impatiently  between  his  fingers. 

^'' AHofis,  n'en  parlous  plus,''"'  he  said.  "You  have 
plenty  of  time  to  make  up  your  mind,  for  what  I  have 
once  resolved  to  do,  that  I  do.  I  am  quite  ready  to 
bet  with  you  that  I  shall  secure  the  Bonda  Valley  prop- 
erty from  under  the  nose  of  the  old  prince  and  the 
faddy  countess,  and  that  the  largest  factory  in  the  king- 
dom shall  be  established  here,  and  the  trade  carried  on 
with  the  outside  world.  This  will  all  come  to  pass,  as 
sure  as  my  name  is  Felix  Kaulmann." 

"Well,  I  wish  you  every  luck  in  your  undertaking, 
but  for  my  part  I  will  have  none  of  it." 

The  arrival  of  Raune  interrupted  the  conversation. 
The  Frenchman  explained  that  he  had  considered 
Ivan's  offer,  and  was  ready  to  agree  to  his  conditions 
and  to  enter  on  its  office  at  once.  Thereupon  Ivan 
gave  him  his  hand  as  a  sign  that  the  agreement  was 
concluded.  Then  he  handed  him  the  books  and  the 
strong-box,  the  former  with  the  complete  list  of  the 
pitmen,  the  laborers,  the  girls,  and  boys  engaged  in 
the  mine ;  the  latter  with  the  money  which  was  paid  to 
them  for  the  week's  work,  and  he  asked  the  new  overseer 
to  appoint  a  room  in  the  inn,  where  he  was  going  to 
live,  as  the  place  where  the  miners  should  come  to  be 
paid. 

As  it  happened,  this  was  a  Saturday,  and  therefore 


A    MODERN    ALCHEMIST  49 

on  this  evening  the  overseer  should  enter  on  his  new 
duties. 

The  inn  was  exactly  opposite  to  Ivan's  house.  Groups 
of  pitmen  collected  on  the  vacant  space  between  the 
two  houses.  Ivan  went  to  the  window  to  see  in  what 
order  the  payments  would  be  made  by  the  new  direct- 
or. Felix  also  amused  himself  by  means  of  his  pocket- 
glass,  staring  at  all  the  women. 

"Ah  !"  he  exclaimed,  suddenly,  "  that  little  Cinderella 
over  there  in  the  red  skirt  wouldn't  be  bad  for  the 
model  of  a  bronze  statuette.  I  should  like  her  to  teach 
me  how  to  say  '  I  love  you '  in  the  Slav  language." 

"  Take  care,"  laughed  Ivan ;  "  she  is  betrothed,  and 
her  lover  is  called  a  man-eater." 

Just  then  Peter  Saffran  came  out  of  the  tavern.  He 
had  received  Evila's  money  with  his  own,  and  offered  it 
to  her.  She,  however,  refused  to  take  it,  and  the  pair 
went  off  together  in  good -humor  with  one  another. 
The  young  girl's  hand  was  upon  Peter's  arm,  and  as  she 
passed  the  window  they  heard  her  singing. 

^^  Sapcrlot !  What  a  voice!"  exclaimed  the  banker. 
"Why,  she  beats  The'rese.     If  she  were  in  Paris — " 

He  didn't  finish  his  sentence.  Ivan  lit  a  cigar,  and 
sat  smoking  silently. 


CHAPTER  V 
THEDOCTOR 

The  next  day  was  Sunday,  Ivan  took  Felix  and 
Raune  through  the  workmen's  colony  to  show  them  the 
dwelling-houses,  which  were  clustered  together  like  a 
village.  This  village  had  been  made  by  Ivan's  father. 
The  district  had  been  formerly  occupied  by  the  very 
poorest,  who  eat  nothing  but  potatoes ;  but  now  the 
miners  who  lived  here  w^ere  w^ell-fed  and  well-lodged. 
Each  pitman  had  his  own  cottage  and  fruit-garden. 

When  the  three  men  came  to  the  house  in  which 
Evila  lived  they  stood  still  and  looked  into  the  little 
yard  beyond.  They  felt  obliged  to  do  so,  first,  because 
the  door  stood  open,  and  secondly,  because  in  the  yard  a 
scene  was  going  on  of  which  they  were  unseen  spectators. 

Peter  Saffran  was  beating  Evila.  The  lover  held  his 
betrothed  by  her  long  black  hair,  which  fell  over  her 
shoulders  nearly  to  the  ground.  He  had  the  rich 
masses  gathered  up  in  his  left  hand  and  wound  round 
his  wrist,  while  in  his  right  hand  he  had  a  thick  plaited 
cord  with  which  he  struck  the  poor  girl  over  the  shoul- 
ders, neck,  and  back.  As  he  did  so,  his  eyes  expanded 
until  nearly  all  the  white  Avas  visible,  his  eyebrows  al- 
most touched  one  another,  his  countenance  grew  white 
with  rage,  and  through  his  open  lips  his  white  teeth 
looked  like  those  of  an  infuriated  tiger.  At  each  blow 
of  the  rope  he  growled  out — 


THE    DOCTOR  5 1 

"So  you  will  have  your  own  way,  will  you?  You 
will  defy  me,  will  you?" 

The  girl  made  no  protest  against  her  lover's  violence. 
She  did  not  cry,  neither  did  she  beg  him  to  spare  her. 
She  pressed  her  apron  to  her  lips,  and  looked  at  her 
cruel  persecutor  with  eyes  full  of  the  most  divine  com- 
passion. 

"  What  a  beast !"  cried  Felix.  "  And  he  is  her 
lover !" 

"Just  so,"  replied  Ivan,  indifferently. 

"  But  you  should  interfere  ;  you  should  not  allow  that 
pretty  child  to  be  ill-used  by  the  savage." 

Ivan  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "He  has  the  right; 
she  is  his  betrothed,  and  if  I  were  to  interfere  he  would 
beat  her  more.  Besides,  don't  you  see  he  has  been  at 
the  brandy  flask?  There  would  be  no  use  in  reasoning 
with  him." 

"  Well,  I  shall  reason  wdth  him  to  some  purpose,"  re- 
turned Felix.  "  I  am  not  going  to  stand  by  and  see 
that  pretty  creature  beaten." 

"  You  will  do  no  good,  I  warn  you.  The  underground 
laborer  has  no  respect  for  men  in  black  coats." 

"  We  shall  soon  see  as  to  that.  Do  me  the  favor  to 
call  out  '  doctor '  as  soon  as  you  see  me  take  the  fellow 
by  his  arm." 

As  he  spoke,  the  elegantly  attired  Felix  rushed  across 
the  narrow  passage  which  led  to  the  yard,  and  con- 
fronted the  infuriated  savage. 

"You  brute!"  he  cried.  "Let  go  that  girl.  Why 
do  you  beat  her?" 

Saffran  answered  phlegmatically,  "  What  is  that  to 
you  ?  She  is  my  betrothed."  He  smelled  fearfully  of 
brandy. 

"  Ah,  so  you  are  thinking  of  marrying,  are  you  ?"  re- 


52  BLACK   DIAMONDS 

turned  Felix,  looking  at  the  Hercules,  to  whose  shoulder 
he  hardly  reached.  "And  how  is  it  that  you  are  not 
on  military  service,  my  friend  ?" 

The  cord  slipped  from  Peter's  hand.  "  I  could  not 
pass,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice.  "  I  have  it  in  black  and 
white.     I  am  not  fit." 

"  Could  not  pass — not  fit — when  you  can  use  your 
arms  so  well  ?  Who  was  the  upright  doctor  that  gave 
you  that  certificate  in  black  and  white  ?  Such  mus- 
cles— "  He  touched  with  the  tips  of  his  gray  gloves  the 
starting  muscles  on  the  brawny  arm. 

"Doctor!"  called  out  Ivan. 

When  Peter  heard  this  exclamation,  and  felt  the  pres- 
sure of  Felix's  fingers,  he  let  go  his  hold  of  Evila's  hair. 
She  was  free. 

"  You  just  wait  till  to-morrow,  young  man,"  continued 
Felix,  shaking  his  cane  before  Peter's  nose — "till  to- 
morrow, and  you  shall  have  a  second  examination.  I 
shall  be  curious  to  find  out  what  is  the  secret  impedi- 
ment which  makes  you  unfit  to  serve  your  country.  That 
is  my  business  here." 

Peter  began  suddenly  to  squint. 

Felix  burst  out  laughing.  "Two  can  play  that  game, 
young  man,"  and  he,  too,  fell  to  squinting.  "  I  shall  pay 
you  a  visit  to-morrow." 

At  this  Peter  took  to  his  heels,  and  making  one  rush 
of  it,  was  soon  over  the  wall  of  the  yard,  and  never 
ceased  running  until  he  reached  the  wood. 

Ivan  was  astonished  at  the  result  of  Felix's  inter- 
ference. He,  who  was  twice  as  strong  mentally  and 
physically  as  this  effeminate  towm-bred  man,  would  have 
been  routed  signally,  and  behold,  the  weak  one  in  gray 
gloves  had  chased  the  savage  from  the  field,  and  was 
master  of  the  situation  !     He  felt  vexed,  yet  he  wished 


THE    DOCTOR  53 

to  conceal  his  vexation.  He  saw  Felix  calmly  convers- 
ing with  Evila,  whose  deliverer  he  had  been.  Ivan  was 
not  going  to  stand  open-mouthed  looking  at  the  hero. 

"  Let  us  go  on,''  he  said  to  Raune'.  "  Herr  Kaulmann 
can  follow  us  if  he  wishes." 

Herr  Kaulmann  was  not  inclined  to  continue  his  walk. 
A  full  hour  afterwards,  when  they  were  returning,  he  met 
them.  He  said  he  had  been  looking  everywhere  for 
them  without  effect.  He  had  done  a  good  morning's 
work  in  their  absence.  Finding  himself  alone  in  the 
yard  with  the  girl,  he  had  spoken  to  her  in  a  sympa- 
thizing tone. 

"  My  poor  child,  what  did  you  do  to  that  brute,  that  he 
should  ill-use  you  so  cruelly  .f*'' 

The  girl  dried  her  eyes  with  the  corner  of  her  apron 
and  made  an  effort  to  smile.  It  was  a  piteous  attempt, 
tragic  in  its  effort  to  hide  her  suft\nings. 

"Oh,  sir,  the  whole  thing  was  only  a  joke.  He  only 
pretended  to  strike  me." 

"  A  nice  joke !  Look  at  the  welts  his  blows  have 
made.'' 

He  took  from  his  pocket  a  little  case,  which  held  his 
pocket-comb,  a  dandified  affair  with  a  small  looking- 
glass,  which  he  held  before  her  eyes. 

Evila  reddened  over  face  and  neck  when  she  saw  the 
disfiguring  marks  of  her  lover's  affection.  She  spoke 
with  some  anger  in  her  voice — 

"  Sir,  you  have  been  very  kind,  and  I  will  tell  you  all 
about  it.  I  have  a  little  brother  who  is  a  cripple.  As 
soon  as  father  died  mother  married  again.  Her  hus- 
band was  a  drunkard,  and  when  he  was  tipsy  he  would 
beat  us  and  tear  my  hair.  Once  he  threw  my  brother, 
who  was  only  three  years  old,  down  a  height,  and  since 
then  he  has  been  crippled.     His  bones  are  bent  and 


54  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

weak,  and  he  has  to  go  on  crutches ;  his  breath,  too,  is 
affected  ;  he  can  hardly  breathe  from  asthma,  and  this 
was  stepfather's  doing.  But  that  did  not  soften  him  ;  on 
the  contrary,  he  persecuted  the  poor  baby,  and  it  was  ten 
times  worse  after  mother  died.  How  many  blows  I  have 
had  to  bear,  and  glad  I  was  to  get  them  if  I  could  only 
spare  the  child!  At  last  stepfather  fell  from  the  shaft; 
he  was  drunk,  and  he  broke  his  neck.  A  good  thing  it 
was,  too ;  and  since  then  we  have  lived  alone,  and  what 
I  earn  does  for  us  both.  But  now  I  am  going  to  marry 
Peter,  and  Peter  hates  my  poor  crippled  brother.  He 
says  he  must  go  out  and  beg ;  that  an  object  like  him  on 
crutches  could  stand  at  the  church-door  on  Sundays,  and 
in  the  market  on  week-days,  and  get  pence  enough  to 
support  himself.  Oh,  it  is  shameful  of  him  !  And  to- 
day we  had  a  quarrel  about  it.  He  came  to  take  me  to 
church,  where  we  were  to  be  called  for  the  third  time. 
I  was  nearly  ready,  but  I  said  I  should  first  give  my  little 
brother  some  warm  milk,  and  I  went  to  fetch  it.  The 
boy  was  sitting  on  the  doorstep  waiting  for  it. 

"  '  Warm  milk  T  cried  Peter,  in  a  rage.  '  I  will  give 
him  what  will  make  him  fat!'  and  then  he  struck  the 
child  and  tore  at  his  ear  as  if  he  would  tear  it  from  his 
head.  The  child  has  a  peculiarity — strange  for  a  child 
— he  never  cries,  although  you  might  beat  him  to  death. 
He  opens  his  eyes  and  his  mouth,  but  says  nothing,  and 
gives  out  no  sound.  I  implored  Peter  to  let  the  poor 
thing  alone,  for  I  loved  him.  This  set  him  in  a  horrible 
rage. 

"  '  Then  let  the  dwarf  go  packing !'  he  screamed. 
'  Give  him  a  beggar's  wallet,  and  let  him  beg  from  door 
to  door;  there  never  was  a  more  unsightly  cripple  than 
he  is,  so  let  him  bring  home  something  for  his  keep,  the 
scarecrow !'  " 


THE    DOCTOR  55 

The  tears  ran  down  the  girl's  face  as  she  told  this. 

"  How  can  he  help  being  so  ugly  and  deformed  ?"  she 
went  on.  "It  was  not  God  who  made  him  so,  it  was 
stepfather;  and  so  I  told  Peter,  and  that  I  would  rather 
he  would  beat  me  than  that  he  should  touch  the  child. 

"  '  And  I  will  beat  you,'  he  said,  '  if  you  say  another 
word';  and  then  he  seized  hold  of  the  child  and  kicked 
him.  'Get  out  of  my  sight,  you  little  monster  of  ugli- 
ness !'  he  said.  '  Go  to  the  church-door  and  beg,  or  I  will 
eat  you.'  And  he  made  such  a  horrible  face  that  my 
poor  little  brother  shrieked  with  fright.  I  could  not 
stand  seeing  him  tortured  in  this  way.  I  took  him  from 
him,  and  would  have  covered  him  up  in  my  arms,  but  he 
ran  and  hid  himself  in  the  chimney.     I  was  very  angry. 

'"If  you  torment  him  like  this,'  I  said,  'I  shall  break 
with  you.' 

"Then  he  seized  me  by  my  hair  and  fell  to  beating 
me,  as  you  saw.     Now  he  will  do  it  every  day." 

"  No,  no,"  returned  Felix.  "  The  fellow  will  have  to 
serve  his  term  ;  a  muscular  giant  like  him  cannot  shirk 
military  duty.  If  every  one  did  that,  who  the  deuce 
would  defend  the  country  and  the  emperor.?  It  cannot 
be  winked  at — " 

"  Then  are  you  really  a  doctor  .?"  said  Evila,  doubting. 

"Of  course  I  am,  when  I  say  I  am." 

A  faint  reflection  of  pleasure  crossed  the  girl's  face. 

"Then  perhaps  you  can  tell  me  if  my  little  brother 
can  ever  be  cured .?"  she  said,  eagerly. 

"  I  can  tell  you.     Bring  me  the  child." 

Evila  went  into  the  kitchen,  and  after  some  trouble 
persuaded  the  cripple  to  come  out  of  his  shelter  in  the 
chimney.  This  poor  victim  of  man's  cruelty  was  a  mis- 
erable object.  He  looked  as  if  nature  had  exhausted 
the  stuff  of  which  he  was  made ;   not  one  of  his  limbs 


56  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

fitted  the  other,  and  his  will  seemed  to  have  no  power 
over  his  body. 

Evila  took  the  sick  boy  upon  her  knee,  and  kissing 
his  cheek,  withered  like  a  bit  of  dried  parchment,  told 
him  not  to  be  afraid,  for  that  the  stranger  was  a  kind 
gentleman. 

Felix  examined  the  limbs  of  the  cripple  with  all  the 
attention  of  an  experienced  surgeon,  and  then  with  a 
professional  air  said — 

"The  injury  can  still  be  cured  ;  it  requires  only  time 
and  care.  There  is  in  Vienna  an  orthopedic  institution 
expressly  for  such  cases  ;  cripples  are  there  treated,  and 
grow  up  strong,  healthy  boys." 

"Ah!"  cried  the  girl,  taking  hold  of  Felix's  hand. 
"  Would  they  take  Janoska  there  ?  But  it  would  cost 
money,  which  I  haven't  got.  I  might  get  employment 
in  this  institution  where  cripples  are  made  straight 
again.  I  would  serve  them  well  if  they  would  cure  my 
little  brother." 

"  I  don't  see  any  reason  why  he  shouldn't  be  ad- 
mitted," returned  Felix,  gravely,  "  especially  on  my  rec- 
ommendation. I  have  great  influence,  and  a  word  from 
me — " 

"You  will  say  it,  won't  you,  and  God  will  forever 
bless  you  ?"  cried  the  girl,  throwing  herself  on  her  knees 
and  covering  the  hands  and  feet  of  the  pretended  doctor 
with  kisses.  "  I  will  serve  them  ;  I  will  work  for  them 
day  and  night.  They  need  not  keep  a  dog ;  I  will  be 
their  dog,  and  guard  the  house  for  them,  if  they  will 
make  Janoska  straight,  so  that  he  need  not  beg  at  the 
church-door.     Is  it  far  to  Vienna?" 

Felix  laughed.  "  You  don't  think  you  could  carry  the 
boy  to  Vienna,  do  you  ?  I  will  manage  the  journey  for 
you.     When  I  have  once  promised,  I  keep  my  word.     I 


THE    DOCTOR  57 

have  my  carriage  here;  I  will,  if  you  like,  take  you  both 
to  Vienna." 

"  Oh,  I  will  sit  by  the  coachman,  with  Janoska  on  my 
lap !" 

"Very  well,  my  child,''  returned  Felix,  with  the  air 
of  a  patron.  "  I  am  glad  to  help  you  ;  therefore,  if  you 
have  resolved  to  take  your  brother  to  Vienna  to  have 
him  cured,  I  shall  give  you  the  opportunity.  Be  ready 
to-morrow  morning  when  you  hear  the  post-horn  sound. 
That  rough  fellow  who  beat  you  just  now  will  be  taken 
by  the  pioneers  corps,  who  recruit  next  week,  and  he  will 
have  to  serve  his  four  years.  Now,  here  is  some  money 
for  you,  that  you  may  buy  some  warm  clothing  for  the 
boy,  for  the  nights  are  cold,  and  I  travel  day  and  night." 

The  sum  of  money  he  placed  in  the  girl's  hand  took 
away  her  breath,  and  left  her  no  voice  to  thank  him. 
Two  bank-notes,  ten  pounds  each — a  fortune  to  a  poor 
girl.  The  gentleman  was  a  great  nobleman  ;  he  was  a 
prince.  He  was,  however,  already  on  his  way  before 
she  could  speak  a  word,  and  it  would  not  do  to  run 
through  the  street  after  him. 

Evila  then  gave  way  to  her  joy  like  a  child,  as  she 
was.  She  laughed,  ran  about  the  room  carrying  the 
boy,  set  him  on  a  seat,  knelt  before  him,  kissed  and 
hugged  in  her  arms  his  emaciated  body. 

"We  are  going  away,  Janoska,  my  heart's  darling,  in 
a  coach  to  Vienna.  Ho,  ho,  little  horse,  ho  !  In  a 
coach  with  four  gee-gees  all  hung  with  little  bells  !  And 
Janoska  will  sit  in  my  lap.  Janoska  will  have  good 
medicine  and  good  food,  and  his  feet  and  his  hands, 
his  back  and  his  chest  will  get  straight.  He  will  be  a 
big  fellow,  like  other  boys.  Then  we  will  come  home, 
not  in  a  coach,  but  on  our  feet.  We  go  in  a  coach,  and 
we  come  back  on  two  feet  without  a  crutch  !'' 


58  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Then  the  poor  little  cripple  began  to  laugh  like  her. 
Evila  ran  off  to  the  store,  and  bought  for  the  child  a 
warm  winter  jacket,  a  cap,  and  boots ;  still,  she  could 
not,  even  with  these  stupendous  purchases,  spend  half 
of  the  money.  What  she  had  left  she  determined  to  re- 
turn to  the  gentleman. 

Now  it  was  full  time  to  go  to  church.  Her  friends 
wondered  to  see  her  come  in  alone.  They  asked  her 
where  was  Peter?  Evila  answered  she  had  not  seen 
him  that  day.  It  went  against  her  conscience  to  tell  a 
lie  before  mass,  but  then,  when  one  is  placed  in  a  situ- 
ation that  one  must  lie,  what  can  be  done  ?  A  woman 
or  a  girl  who  has  been  beaten  by  her  betrothed  or  her 
husband  must  deny  it.  God  pardons  the  lie,  and  society 
demands  it. 

Peter  Saffran  was  nowhere  to  be  seen  in  the  church. 
Evila  felt  terribly  ashamed  when  the  clergyman  from  the 
pulpit  gave  out  for  the  third  time  the  banns  of  her  mar- 
riage. And  there  would  be  no  marriage  !  Tears  came 
into  her  eyes  and  sorrow  filled  her  heart  at  the  thought 
that  she  was  leaving  her  home,  her  bridegroom,  her 
friends,  all  the  places  she  knew,  the  things  she  was  ac- 
customed to,  and  was  going  out  into  the  world  alone. 
These  thoughts  preyed  upon  her  all  day,  until  she  was 
obliged  to  go  out  and  look  for  Peter  Saffran.  She  sus- 
pected where  she  would  find  him. 

In  the  depths  of  the  woods  at  the  bottom  of  a  moun- 
tain ravine  lay  a  cottage,  or  hut,  where,  at  the  time  of 
the  recruiting,  the  men  and  boys  who  wanted  to  avoid 
the  conscription  would  hide  themselves  for  weeks,  until 
the  officers  would  have  gone  on  to  another  place.  Not 
one  betrayed  their  hiding-place ;  and  here,  no  doubt, 
Peter  lay  concealed.  Evila  went  blindly  through  the 
thicket.      The  night  was  dark,  the  wood   still  darker. 


THE    DOCTOR  59 

From  the  mountain  came  the  growling  of  the  hungry- 
wolves.  The  girl  trembled  with  fear,  but  went  her  way, 
nevertheless,  resolved  to  find  her  betrothed,  although 
she  was  sure  he  would  again  beat  her.  On  the  path  she 
picked  up  a  stick,  and  as  she  went  along  she  beat  the 
bushes,  crying,  "Go  away,  wolf!"  But  her  heart  beat 
wildly  when,  with  a  rustling  sound,  some  beast  flew 
away  through  the  brushwood.  She  was  getting  deeper 
into  the  wood,  and  every  moment  it  was  growing  darker  ; 
still  she  kept  on  her  way. 

At  last  through  the  darkness  she  saw  the  glimmer  of 
a  light  in  a  window.  This  was  the  hut.  Her  breath 
came  shorter  as  she  drew  near  to  the  house,  from  whence 
came  the  sound  of  bagpipes  mixed  with  shouts.  They 
were  very  merry  inside.  She  stole  softly  to  the  lighted 
window,  and  peeped  in.  They  were  dancing.  Evila 
knew  the  girls  who  were  there ;  they  \vere  none  of  her 
companions ;  she  and  her  friends  crossed  the  street 
when  they  met  these.  The  piper  sat  upon  the  pig- 
trough,  and  when  he  blew  his  instrument  grunted  like  so 
many  pigs. 

Among  the  men  Evila  saw  Peter  Saffran.  He  was  in 
high  spirits,  leaping  so  high  as  he  danced  that  his  fist 
struck  the  ceiling.  He  danced  with  a  girl  whose  cheeks 
had  two  spots  of  red  paint.  Peter  had  both  his  arms 
round  her  waist ;  he  threw  her  up  and  caught  her  again, 
kissing  her  painted  face. 

Evila  turned  away  in  disgust  and  hastened  back 
through  the  woods,  unmindful  of  the  cries  of  the  wolves 
and  the  howling  of  the  wind.  She  had  not  even  her 
stick ;  that  she  had  dropped,  and  she  had  no  means  of 
beating:  the  bushes. 


•i=> 


That  evening  Felix  Kaulmann  came  again  to  Ivan. 


6o  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  I  want  to  have  your  last  word,"  he  said.  "Will  you 
join  my  speculation  ?" 

"  I  don't  change  my  mind  so  quickly,"  returned  Ivan, 
coldly.  "My  answ^er  is  the  same  as  it  was  this  morn- 
ing— I  will  not." 

"Very  well.  I  have  acted  in  a  friendly  manner  in 
this  matter,  and  now  I  tell  you  frankly  that,  as  you  do 
not  choose  to  join  me,  I  shall  start  the  company  alone, 
always  leaving  it  open  to  you  to  rescind  your  determina- 
tion and  to  join  me  if  you  wish.  I  cannot  say  fairer 
than  this,  and  I  trust  we  shall  always  be  good  friends. 
You  will  forgive  me  if  I  try  to  pick  up  some  of  the  dia- 
monds which  are  scattered  about." 

"  I  leave  you  perfectly  free  to  do  what  you  can." 

"  I  shall  avail  myself  of  your  permission,  and  the  day 
will  come  when  I  shall  remind  you  of  your  words." 

Ivan's  forehead  contracted  as  he  thought,  "  What  does 
he  mean  ?  What  can  he  take  from  me  ?  Not  my  coal- 
mine ;  that  is  mine  by  right  of  possession,  and  the  law 
protects  me.  The  cut  on  the  neighboring  mountain  ? 
So  he  may !     What  I  have  suffices  for  me." 

"Good-luck  to  your  company!"  he  said,  aloud;  "and 
many  thanks  to  the  director." 

So  they  parted.  Early  next  morning  Ivan  was  roused 
from  his  sleep.  It  was  the  post-horn  which  sounded  the 
note  of  Felix  Kaulmann's  departure.  -Ivan  wished  him 
a  happy  journey,  then  fell  asleep  again.  Later,  as  he 
was  leaving  his  house,  he  met  Peter  Saffran  at  the  door. 
The  miner  presented  a  sorry  figure.  His  features  bore 
the  impression  of  his  night's  dissipation ;  his  eyes  were 
bloodshot,  his  hair  ragged,  his  dress  in  disorder. 

"  Now,  what  is  it .?"  asked  Ivan,  angrily. 

"Sir,"  said  the  man,  in  a  hoarse  voice,  "that  doctor 
who  was  with  you  yesterday — his  name  ?" 


THE    DOCTOR  6 1 

"What  do  you  want  with  him  ?" 

"  He  has  carried  off  Evila !"  burst  out  Peter.  In  wild 
agitation  he  snatched  the  hat  off  his  head,  tore  his  hair, 
and  raised  both  his  hands  to  heaven. 

In  the  first  moment  Ivan  was  conscious  of  feeling  a 
cruel  satisfaction. 

"  It  serves  you  right,  you  beast !"  he  said.  "  Serves 
you  right !  What  business  had  you  to  ill-use  the  girl — 
your  promised  wife — on  the  very  day  that  you  were  called 
for  the  third  time  ?" 

"  Oh,  sir,"  cried  the  miserable  man,  his  teeth  chatter- 
ing, and  beating  his  head  with  his  hands,  "  I  was  drunk  ! 
I  did  not  know  what  I  did  ;  and,  after  all,  it  was  only  a 
few  blows  with  a  light  strap.  What  was  that.?  With  us 
common  people  it  is  nothing.  A  woman  likes  a  man  the 
better  when  he  cudgels  her.  It  is  true  ;  but  to  leave  me 
for  a  gentleman — " 

Ivan  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  went  on  his  way.  The 
miner  caught  him  by  the  tail  of  his  coat. 

"  Ah,  sir,  what  shall  I  do  }    Tell  me,  what  shall  I  do .?" 

Ivan,  however,  was  in  no  mood  for  giving  advice ;  he 
was  angry.     He  pushed  Peter  away,  saying,  sternly  : 

"  Go  to  hell !  Run  to  the  tavern,  drink  brandy,  then 
choose  among  the  girls  whose  company  you  frequent 
another  bride,  who  will  be  only  too  glad  if  you  are 
drunk  every  day  in  the  year." 

Peter  took  up  his  hat,  put  it  on  his  head,  looked  Ivan 
in  the  face,  and,  in  an  altered  voice,  said : 

"  No,  sir,  I  shall  never  drink  brandy  again  ;  only  once 
in  my  life  shall  I  taste  the  accursed  thing — once.  You 
will  remember  what  I  say,  and  when  I  smell  of  it,  when 
I  am  seen  coming  out  of  the  public-house,  or  when  you 
hear  that  I  have  been  there,  then  stay  at  home,  for  on 
that  day  no  one  will  know  how  or  when  he  will  die." 


62  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Ivan  left  the  man  standing,  and  going  back  into  his 
house,  shut  the  door  behind  him.  His  tirst  satisfaction 
at  the  news  was  passing  away.  This  miserable  peasant, 
who  had  dared  to  be  his  successful  rival,  had  lost  the 
treasure  which  he  coveted.  The  fool  had  the  pearl  in  his 
keeping,  but  he  didn't  know  how  to  value  it,  and  he  had 
let  it  fall.  That  was  good  ;  but  where  had  it  fallen,  this 
pearl  so  white  and  lovely  in  its  purity  and  innocence  ? 
His  soul  was  full  of  sorrow  as  he  thought  how  in  his  eyes 
it  had  lost  all  its  value.  The  girl  who  had  seemed  to  him 
so  virtuous,  who  kept  her  troth  so  faithfully,  whose  sim- 
plicity had  been  what  he  really  loved — she  had  fallen  at 
the  first  word  from  a  villain.  She  refused  her  master, 
who  had  honorably  offered  her  his  name,  his  house,  his 
all.  But  he  had  not  the  gifts  of  the  other;  he  was  not 
a  dressed-up  fellow,  with  town  manners  and  seductive 
ways ;  he  had  not  the  tongue  of  a  seducer,  and  had  not 
promised  her  jewels  and  fine  clothes,  balls  and  operas. 
It  was  the  same  story  with  all  women,  and  Mahomet  was 
right  when  he  gave  them  no  souls,  and  no  place  either 
on  earth  or  in  heaven. 


CHAPTER  VI 

COUNTESS    THEUDELINDE 

The  mistress  of  Bondavara  was  at  this  time  fifty-eight 
years  old.  Ivan  had  not  overstated  her  age  when  he 
gave  FeHx  the  information.  Countess  Theudelinde  had 
long  since  given  up  the  world.  The  renunciation  cost 
her  very  little;  she  had  never  been  in  touch  with  it.  Up 
to  her  fourteenth  year  she  had  grown  up  in  the  house 
of  her  father,  the  prince;  at  that  period  her  mother,  the 
princess,  died.  The  governess  of  Theudelinde  was  beau- 
tiful, the  prince  was  old.  The  countess — only  the  first- 
born can  have  the  princely  title;  the  younger  children 
are  all  counts  and  countesses — could  not,  for  various 
reasons,  remain  under  the  paternal  roof;  she  was  sent 
out  of  the  way  and  to  finish  her  education  at  a  convent. 
Before  she  went,  however,  she  was  betrothed  to  the 
Marquis  Don  Antonio  de  Padua,  only  son  of  the  Mar- 
quis de  Colomorano,  then  eighteen  years  of  age.  It  was 
settled  between  the  two  fathers  that  when  Antonio  was 
twenty-four  and  Theudelinde  twenty,  she  should  be 
fetched  out  of  her  convent,  and  both  should  be  united 
in  wedlock  by  Holy  Church.  This  arrangement  was 
carried  out  so  far  as  Theudelinde  spending  six  blameless 
years  in  a  most  highly  respectable  convent.  She  was 
then  brought  home,  and  the  marriage  belis  were  set 
ringing.  But,  horror  of  horrors,  when  the  girl  saw  her 
betrothed  .husband,  she  shrieked  and  ran  away!     This 


64  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

was  not  the  man  she  had  promised  to  marry;  this  one 
had  a  mustache !  (Naturally,  for  he  was  an  officer  in 
the  hussars.) 

Theudelinde  had  never  seen  a  man  with  a  mustache. 
Six  years  before,  when  she  was  at  home,  all  the  distin- 
guished guests  who  came  to  her  father's  house,  the  mag- 
nates, the  ambassadors,  were' all  smooth-shaved,  so  were 
the  man-servants,  even  the  coachman.  In  the  convent 
there  was  only  one  man,  the  father  confessor;  his  face 
was  like  a  glass.  And  now  they  proposed  to  marry  her 
to  a  man  all  hair!  Impossible!  The  saints  and  the 
prophets  of  old  wore  beards,  that  was  true;  some  of 
them  had  a  good  deal  of  hair,  but  none  had  it  only  on 
the  upper-lip.  The  only  one  she  could  remember  with 
this  adornment  was  the  servant  of  the  high-priest  in  the 
Stations  of  the  Cross,  which,  to  a  pious  mind  like  Theu- 
delinde's,  was  conclusive.  She  would  hear  no  more  of 
the  marriage;  the  betrothal  rings  were  returned  on 
both  sides,  and  the  alliance  was  at  an  end. 

After  this  the  countess  avoided  all  worldly  amuse- 
ments. Nothing  would  induce  her  go  to  a  ball,  or  to 
the  theatre.  Nevertheless,  she  did  not  seem  inclined  to 
take  the  veil;  she  had  strong  leanings  towards  this 
wicked  world,  only  she  wanted  one  of  a  different  sort, 
without  the  wickedness.  She  desired  out  of  the  general 
chaos  to  create  an  ideal,  and  this  ideal  should  be  her 
husband.  He  should  be  tender,  faithful,  no  wine- 
drinker,  no  smoker;  a  man  with  a  smooth  face,  a  pure 
soul,  a  sweet-sounding  voice;  a  gifted,  sympathetic, 
patient,  amiable,  soft,  romantic,  domestic,  pious  man; 
prudent,  scientific,  literary,  distinguished,  well-born, 
much  respected,  covered  with  orders,  rich,  loyal,  brave, 
and  titled.  Such  a  7'ara  avis  was  impossible  to  find. 
Countess  Theudelinde  spent  the  best  days  of  her  life 


COUNTESS    THEUDELINDE  65 

seeking  a  portrait  to  fit  the  frame  she  had  made,  but  she 
sought  in  vain ;  there  was  no  husband  for  her. 

When  the  countess  had  reached  thirty  there  was  a  halt. 
The  ideal  was  as  far  off  as  ever.  She  was  anxious  to 
come  to  terms  with  the  world,  but  the  world  would 
have  none  of  her.  Her  day  was  past;  she  had  no  right 
to  any  pretensions.  She  found  herself  in  the  posi- 
tion of  having  to  choose  between  utter  renunciation  or 
acceptance  of  the  world,  with  all  its  wickedness.  At 
this  critical  juncture  the  old  prince,  her  father,  died, 
leaving  the  countess  the  property  of  Bondavara,  together 
with  the  castle.  Here  Theudelinde  retired  to  nurse  her 
ideal,  and  mourn  over  her  shattered  idols.  Here  she 
was  absolute  mistress,  her  brother,  to  whom  the  property 
reverted,  leaving  her  to  her  own  devices. 

The  countess  carried  out,  therefore,  her  theories  un- 
molested, and  her  dislike  to  beards  and  mustaches  had 
free  play.  The  growers  of  these  enormities  were  ban- 
ished from  her  presence,  and,  as  was  only  a  natural  con- 
sequence, as  time  went  on  her  hatred  of  the  male  sex  in- 
creased. No  man  was  allowed  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  countess.  She  only  suffered  women  about  her — not 
alone  in  the  house,  but  outside.  The  garden,  the  con- 
servatories, were  attended  to  by  women  —  unmarried 
women,  all.  ^Matrimony  was  as  a  red  rag  to  Theudelinde, 
and  no  one  durst  mention  the  word  in  her  presence. 
Any  girl  who  showed  any  inclination  to  wear  the  "ma- 
tron's cap  "  was  at  once  dismissed  with  contumely.  Even 
the  "coachman"  was  a  woman;  and  for  the  reason  that 
it  would  not  have  been  fitting  to  sit  upon  a  coach-box  in 
woman's  clothes,  this  female  Jehu  was  allowed  to  wear 
a  long  coachman's  cloak,  a  man's  coat,  as  also  a  cer- 
tain garment,  at  the  bare  mention  of  which  an  English- 
woman calls  out,  "  Oh,  how  shocking !"  and  straightway 


66  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

faints.  Truly,  at  the  time  this  history  was  written,  in 
our  good  land  of  Hungary,  this  very  garment  played  a 
serious  part,  since  it  was  the  shibboleth  and  visible  sign 
of  fidelity  to  the  governing  powers,  and  of  submission  to 
the  mediators;  in  truth,  ever  since  those  days  the  "leg 
of  the  boot"  has  been  worn.  So  it  came  to  pass  that 
Mrs.  Liese  wore  this  thing,  the  only  one  of  the  kind  to 
be  seen  in  the  castle.  Liese,  also,  was  allowed  to  drink 
wine,  and  to  smoke  tobacco,  and,  needless  to  say,  she 
did  both. 

Fraulein  Emerenzia,  the  countess's  companion,  was, 
so  to  speak,  the  exact  counterpart  of  her  noble  mistress. 
The  countess  was  tall  and  slender;  she  had  a  white  skin, 
her  features  were  sharp,  her  nose  almost  transparent, 
her  lips,  scarlet  in  color,  were  shaped  like  a  bow ;  her 
cadaverous  form  bent  forward ;  her  eyelids  fell  over  her 
lack-lustre  eyes,  her  face  appeared  to  have  two  sides 
which  didn't  belong  to  one  another,  each  half  having  a 
totally  different  expression;  even  the  wrinkles  didn't 
correspond.  She  wore  her  hair  as  it  was  worn  in  the 
days  of  her  youth,  as  it  was  worn  when  Caroline  Pia 
was  married,  and  as  it  is  possible  it  will  be  worn  again. 
Her  hands  were  fine,  transparent ;  they  were  not  strong 
enough  to  cut  the  leaves  of  a  book  with  a  paper-knife. 
Her  whole  being  was  nerveless  and  sensitive.  At  the 
slightest  noise  she  would  shriek,  be  seized  with  a  cramp, 
or  go  off  in  hysterics.  She  had  certain  antipathies  to 
beasts,  flowers,  air,  food,  motion,  and  emotion.  At  the 
sight  of  a  cat  she  was  ready  to  faint ;  if  she  saw  a  flesh- 
colored  flower  her  blood  grew  excited.  Silver  gave 
everything  an  unpleasant  taste,  so  her  spoons  were  all 
of  gold.  If  any  women  crossed  their  legs  she  sent  them 
out  of  the  room.  If  the  spoons,  knives,  or  forks  were 
bv  accident  laid  crosswise  on  the  table,  she  would  not 


COUNTESS    THEUDELINDE  67 

sit  down ;  and  if  she  were  to  see  velvet  on  any  of  her 
attendants  she  was  thrown  into  a  nervous  attack,  from 
the  bare  idea  that  perhaps  her  hand  might  come  in  con- 
tact with  this  electric  and  antipathetic  substance. 

Fortunately  for  her  household  her  nervous  fears  kept 
her  quiet  at  night.  She  locked  and  double-locked  the 
door  of  her  room,  and  never  opened  it  until  the  morning 
came — no,  not  if  the  house  were  burning  over  her  head. 

Fraulein  Emerenzia  was,  as  we  have  before  said,  the 
counterpart  of  her  mistress,  in  so  far  that  she  affected  a 
close  imitation  of  her  ways,  for  in  her  appearance  she 
was  a  direct  contrast,  Emerenzia  being  a  round,  short, 
fat  woman,  with  a  full  face,  the  skin  of  which  was  so 
tightly  stretched  that  it  was  almost  as  white  as  the 
countess's ;  she  had  a  snub  nose,  which  in  secret  was 
addicted  to  the  vice  of  snuff-taking.  Her  dress  and  her 
manner  of  doing  her  hair  were  identical  with  the  count- 
ess's fashion  in  each,  only  that  the  stiff-set  clothes  had 
on  her  small  body  a  humorous  expression.  She  affected 
to  be  as  nerveless  as  the  countess  ;  her  hands  were  as 
weak — they  could  not  break  a  chicken  bone.  Her  eyes 
were  as  sensitive  to  light,  her  antipathies  were  as  nu- 
merous, and  she  was  as  prone  to  faints  and  hysterics  as 
her  patroness.  In  this  direction,  indeed,  she  went  fur- 
ther. So  soon  as  she  observed  that  there  was  any  cause 
for  emotional  display,  she  set  up  trembling  and  scream- 
ing, and  so  got  the  start  of  the  countess,  and  generally 
managed  to  sob  for  a  minute  longer;  and  when  Theu- 
delinde  fell  fainting  upon  one  sofa  Emerenzia  dropped 
lifeless  upon  another  ;  likewise,  she  took  longer  coming 
to  than  did  her  mistress.  At  night  Emerenzia  slept  pro- 
foundly. Her  room  was  only  separated  from  that  of  the 
countess  by  an  ante-chamber,  but  Theudelinde  might  tear 
down  all  the  bells  in  the  castle  without  wakinc:  her  com- 


68  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

panion,  who  maintained  that  her  sleep  was  a  species  of 
nervous  trance. 

One  man  only  was  ever  allowed  entrance  into  the 
Castle  of  Bondavara.  What  do  we  say? — no  man,  no 
masadinuvi.  The  language  of  dogma  has  defined  that 
the  priest  is  7ietitrius ge?ieris,  is  more  and  less  than  a  being 
of  the  male  sex ;  bodily  he  can  be  no  man's  father,  spir- 
itually he  is  father  of  thousands.  No  one  need  think 
he  will  here  read  any  calumnies  against  the  priesthood. 
The  pastor  Mahok  was  a  brave,  honest  man  ;  he  said 
mass  devoutly,  baptized,  married,  buried  when  called 
upon,  would  get  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night  to  attend 
the  death-bed  of  a  parishioner,  and  would  never  grumble 
at  the  sacristan  for  waking  him  out  of  his  first  sleep. 
The  pastor  wrote  no  articles  in  the  Church  News,  neither 
did  he  ever  read  one.  If  he  wanted  a  newspaper  he 
borrowed  from  the  steward  the  daily  paper.  When  his 
clerk  collected  Peter's  pence,  Pastor  Mahok  sent  it  with 
an  additional  gulden  or  two  to  the  office  of  the  chief 
priest ;  but  this  did  not  prevent  him  sitting  down  in  the 
evening  to  play  "  tarok  "  with  the  Lutheran  pastor  and 
the  infidel  steward.  He  held  to  having  a  good  cellar; 
he  had  a  whole  family  of  bees  in  his  garden,  and  w^as  a 
successful  cultivator  of  fruit.  In  politics  he  was  a  loy- 
alist, and  confessed  he  belonged  to  the  middle  party, 
which  in  the  country  means  just  this,  and  no  more,  "We 
vote  for  the  tobacco  monopoly,  but  we  smoke  virgin  to- 
bacco because  it  is  good  and  we  have  it." 

From  this  account  every  one  will  understand  that  dur- 
ing the  course  of  this  narrative  this  excellent  gentleman 
will  offend  no  one.  We  would,  in  fact,  have  nothing  to 
say  to  him  were  it  not  that  he  came  every  day,  punctu- 
ally at  eleven  o'clock,  to  Bondavara  Castle  to  hear  the 
countess's  confession,  and   that  done,  he  remained   to 


COUNTESS    THEUDELINDE  69 

dinner,  and  in  both  directions  he  honestly  earned  his 
small  honorarium.  There  was  a  general  air  of  satisfac- 
tion in  his  whole  appearance,  in  his  double  chin,  in  his 
fresh  color,  in  his  round,  shining  face. 

To-day  the  excellent  man  was  punctual.  The  count- 
ess, however,  was  not.  Just  as  eleven  o'clock  struck, 
the  spiritual  man  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  sitting- 
room.  Only  the  voice  of  Emerenzia  answered,  "  Come 
in!" 

The  smile  of  greeting  on  the  countenance  of  the  vis- 
itor was  reflected  on  that  of  the  companion.  It  was  the 
meeting  of  two  full  moons. 

"The  countess  is  still  locked  in  her  room,"  Emeren- 
zia said  in  a  whisper,  as  if  afraid  that  her  voice  could 
penetrate  into  the  third  room. 

The  pastor  expressed  bv  a  movement  of  his  hand  and 
an  elevation  of  his  eyebrows  that  the  sleep  of  the  just 
was  not  to  be  disturbed.  The  good  man  was  not  aware 
that  it  was  the  toilette  of  the  just  that  was  then  in  prog- 
ress. These  mysteries  were  conducted  by  the  countess 
in  private.  No  one,  not  even  a  faithful  maid,  was  ad- 
mitted until  Theudelinde  was  clothed,  and  for  this  rea- 
son her  garments  were  made  to  close  in  front. 

The  priest  made  use  of  this  unexpected  delay  to 
search  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat,  and  to  draw  from 
thence  a  mysterious  something,  which,  after  first  casting 
a  look  round  the  room,  to  make  sure  no  one  was  spying 
on  him,  he  pressed  into  the  fat  hand  of  the  countess's 
companion,  who  hastily  concealed  this  surreptitious 
something  in  the  depths  of  the  pocket  of  her  dress,  ex- 
pressing her  gratitude  by  a  friendly  nod,  which  the  pas- 
tor returned  by  a  courteous  movement  which  expressed, 
"  No  thanks  are  necessary  for  so  small  a  service." 
Whereupon   Emerenzia,  turning    away,  half-shyly  drew 


70  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

the  something  carefully  out  of  her  pocket,  peered  into 
the  contents  of  the  same,  held  it  close  to  her  nose, 
drinking  in  the  scent  of  the  something,  turning  her  eyes 
up  to  heaven,  and  again  to  the  pastor,  who,  on  his  part, 
expressed  by  the  motion  of  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of 
his  left  hand,  "Excellent  —  special  brand!"  Then,  no 
longer  able  to  restrain  her  feelings,  the  companion  took 
from  the  mysterious  packet  between  the  thumb  and 
forefinger  of  her  right  hand  something  which  she  placed 
in  both  nostrils,  and  sniffed  up  in  silent  ecstasy.  It 
was  the  pastor's  pleasure  to  fill  Emerenzia's  snuff-box 
with  the  very  best  mixture.  This  was  the  platonic  bond 
which  existed  between  them — the  mutual  desire  of  two 
noses  for  one  ideal. 

Yellow  snuff  is  not  an  unattainable  ideal.  In  the  or- 
dinary way  of  business  a  quarter  of  a  pound  can  be  pro- 
cured for  a  few^  pence  ;  but  common  snuff  was  as  differ- 
ent from  the  priest's  mixture  as  cherry  brandy  is  from 
Chartreuse,  or  Veuve  Cliquot  from  the  vintage  of  Pres- 
burg.  This  is  easily  understood  by  those  who  take  snuff. 
How  is  it  that  a  clergyman  always  has  the  best  tobacco  ? 
How  does  he  prepare  it  ?  Does  he  get  it  prepared  .-* 
These  are  broad  questions  that  a  man  of  liberal  mind 
dare  not  ventilate.  Even  if  he  knew,  it  would  not  be 
advisable  to  make  use  of  his  knowledge.  One  thing  is 
certain,  the  best  tobacco  is  used  by  the  Church.  A 
bishop,  who  died  not  long  since,  left  behind  him  a  hun- 
dredweight of  the  most  heavenly  stuff,  two  ounces  of 
which  fetched  a  ducat. 

The  quiet  tete-a-tete  between  the  two  snuff-takers  was 
disturbed  by  the  sound  of  a  bell ;  then  a  metal  slide  in 
the  door  of  the  countess's  room  opened,  and  a  tray  with 
an  empty  teacup  was  put  through.  This  was  a  sign  that 
the  countess  had  breakfasted. 


COUNTESS    THEUDELINDE  7 1 

Every  door  in  the  castle  had  sliding  panels,  some 
large,  others  small.  The  slides  were  made  of  copper, 
the  doors  of  strong  wood,  with  brass  locks  and  fasteners. 
The  door  of  the  countess's  bedroom  was  all  of  iron, 
covered  on  the  inside  with  a  tapestry  curtain.  Since  no 
man  was  allowed  in  the  house,  it  was  necessary  to  have 
a  defence  system  against  any  possible  attack.  This  sys- 
tem included  some  cleverly-constructed  machinery,  by 
means  of  which  the  countess,  by  pressing  her  foot,  could 
raise  up  the  flooring,  and  precipitate  any  bold  invader  of 
the  sacred  precincts  of  her  bedroom  into  a  cellar  without 
light  or  exit.  From  the  alcove  of  her  bed  an  electric 
telegraph  connected  with  the  fire-tower,  so  that  by  rais- 
ing her  finger  the  alarm-bell  could  be  set  ringing,  and  in 
case  of  danger  the  masculine  inhabitants  of  the  adjacent 
farm-houses  and  hunting-lodges  could  be  summoned  with- 
out a  moment's  delay.  In  Emerenzia's  room  there  was 
likewise  a  communication  with  this  electric  apparatus, 
and  to  the  door  were  affixed  the  different  signs  by  which 
the  countess  expressed  her  wishes.  The  cup  signified 
that  the  waiting-maid  was  required,  a  book  would  have 
meant  that  the  companion  was  needed. 

Emerenzia,  therefore,  sent  the  girl  to  her  mistress. 
When  her  work  was  finished  the  bell  rang  again,  the 
book  appeared,  and  the  companion  went  to  the  countess. 
After  a  short  time  she  returned,  and  opened  the  door  for 
the  pastor,  while  she  whispered  to  him  softly — 

"  She  has  seen  the  spirits  again ;  she  has  much  to  tell 
you." 

We  will  follow  the  pastor  into  his  penitent's  room ; 
but  no  one  need  be  afraid  that  he  or  she  is  about  to 
listen  to  the  lady's  confession.  When  the  pastor  had 
closed  the  door  behind  him,  he  came  to  the  countess, 
who  sat  in  a  large  armchair,  looking  pale  and  exhausted. 


72  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

She  signed  to  the  priest  to  take  his  place  in  another 
armchair  opposite  to  her. 

"  Have  you  seen  them  again  ?"  he  asked. 

"  I  have,"  said  the  countess,  in  an  awed  whisper.  "  All 
happened  in  the  same  way  as  usual.  So  soon  as  the 
clock-tower  had  sounded  midnight,  there  rose  from  below, 
as  if  out  of  the  vault,  a  fearful  chorus  of  voices  intoning 
the  De  Profundis.  It  was  a  ghostly,  terrible  sound.  I 
could  distinguish  the  solo  of  the  celebrant,  the  anti- 
phon,  the  chorus ;  and  between  them  loud  laughter, 
diabolical  words,  the  shrieks  of  women,  and  the  clatter 
of  glasses.  I  heard  comic  songs  accompanied  by  wild 
howls  ;  then,  again,  the  soft,  pious  hymn  succeeded  by 
the  wild  disorder.  I  pinched  my  arm  to  see  did  I  dream. 
Here  you  can  see  the  mark.  'Twas  not  dreaming.  I 
got  up;  I  wished  to  convince  myself  that  I  was  awake. 
I  took  my  pencil  and  note-paper,  and  when  a  distinct 
tune  reached  my  ear  I  wrote  it  down.  Here  is  the  paper. 
You  understand  music." 

The  priest  tiirew  a  hasty  glance  over  the  ghostly 
melod}^  and  recognized  a  well-known  Hungarian  volks- 
lied  —  "  Maiden  with  the  black  eyes,  let  me  taste  thy 
lips."  Undoubtedly  an  unclean  song  to  issue  from  the 
family  vault  at  midnight ! 

"And,  gracious  countess,  have  you  never  heard  the 
peasants  singing  this  in  the  fields .''" 

The  countess  drew  herself  up  with  dignity.  "  Do  I 
frequent  the  places  where  peasants  sing  ?"  she  made  an- 
swer ;  and  then  continued  her  story.  "  These  notes  are 
sufficient  proof  that  I  was  awake ;  my  nerves  were  too 
excited  to  allow  me  to  sleep  again.  Moreover,  I  was 
drawn  by  an  invincible  desire  to  go  to  the  spot  from 
whence  the  sound  came.  I  dressed  myself.  I  am  cer- 
tain that  I  took  out  my  grass-green   skirt  of  Gros  de 


COUNTESS   THEUDELINDF  73 

Naples,  with  a  flounce  of  cashmere.  I  called  none  of 
my  servants;  every  one  in  the  house  was  asleep.  An 
extraordinary  courage  awoke  in  me.  Quite  alone  I  de- 
scended the  steps  which  lead  to  the  family  vault.  When 
I  reached  the  door  both  sides  opened  of  themselves ;  I 
entered,  and  found  myself  in  the  presence  of  my  de- 
parted ancestors.  The  monuments  were  all  removed, 
the  niches  empty ;  the  occupiers  of  both  sat  round  the 
long  table  which  stands  in  the  vault,  in  the  identical 
dress  in  which  they  are  painted  in  the  portraits  which 
hang  in  the  hall,  and  by  which  their  calling  in  life  is  dis- 
tinguishable. My  great-uncle,  the  archbishop,  in  full 
canonicals,  celebrated  mass  before  the  requiem  altar ; 
my  grandfather,  the  chancellor,  had  large  parchment 
documents  before  him,  upon  which  he  affixed  the  state 
seal.  My  great-uncle,  the  field-marshal,  in  armor,  and 
with  the  marshal's  baton  in  his  hand,  gave  orders.  My 
ancestress  Katherine,  who  was  a  lady  of  the  court,  and 
of  remarkable  beauty,  rolled  her  eyes  about,  and  in  her 
whole  face  no  feature  moved  but  those  glittering  eyes; 
and  my  aunt  Clementina,  the  abbess  of  the  Ursuline 
Convent,  sang  psalms  with  my  uncle,  in  which  the  others 
from  time  to  time  joined." 

"But  the  laughter,  the  tumult,  tlie  comic  songs?" 
asked  the  pastor. 

"  I  am  coming  to  that.  At  the  other  end  of  the  table 
sat  some  of  my  more  distant  relatives — my  young  cousin 
Clarissa,  who  danced  herself  to  death  ;  and  a  cousin, 
who  was  a  celebrated  flute  player ;  and  my  great-uncle 
Otto,  who  was  devoted  to  hazard,  and  now  rattled  dice 
into  a  copper  goblet,  and  cursed  his  bad-luck  when  he 
made  a  bad  throw;  also  another  cousin,  who  died  on  the 
very  night  of  her  marriage,  and  still  wore  a  faded  wed- 
ding wreath  ;  finally,  my  uncle  Ladislaus,  who  was  ban- 


74  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

ished  from  the  family  circle  earl}^  in  the  century,  and 
whose  frame  hangs  in  the  picture-gallery  empty,  his  por- 
trait being  removed." 

"  How  did  you  know  him,  then  ?"  By  this  question 
the  pastor  hoped  to  check  the  flow  of  the  countess's 
visions. 

Theudelinde,  however,  answered  that  her  uncle  Ladis- 
laus,  being  a  rebel  and  a  heretic,  had  not  alone  been  de- 
clared a  traitor,  but  had  incurred  the  ban  of  excommuni- 
cation. He  was  taken  prisoner  and  beheaded.  "And 
therefore,"  she  added,  with  an  air  of  conviction,  "it  was 
easy  to  recognize  him  by  his  death's-head.  Likewise, 
during  his  lifetime  he  ignored  the  king's  express  com- 
mand, and  was  the  first  to  introduce  tobacco-smoke  into 
the  country,  and  on  this  account,  at  his  execution,  he  re- 
ceived the  punishment  awarded  to  the  smoker,  of  hav- 
ing a  pipe-handle  run  through  his  nose.  Last  night,  as 
he  sat  at  the  table,  he  held  between  the  teeth  of  his 
monstrous  death's-head  a  large  meerschaum  pipe,  and 
the  whole  vault  smelled  in  the  most  fearful  manner  of 
tobacco-smoke." 

This  remark  convinced  the  priest  that  the  countess 
had  been  dreaming. 

"  Between  both  my  cousins,"  she  went  on,  "  the  nun 
and  the  bride,  there  was  an  empty  chair.  There  I  felt 
obliged  to  seat  myself.  The  bride  wished  to  hear  of  the 
fashions ;  she  praised  the  stuff  of  my  Gros  de  Naples 
dress,  taking  it  between  her  fingers,  which,  when  they 
touched  mine,  were  cold  as  death  itself.  The  upper  end 
of  the  table  was  covered  with  green  cloth,  the  lower  end 
with  a  yellow  silk  table-cloth,  embroidered  with  many- 
colored  flowers.  At  this  end  every  one  laughed,  talked, 
sang  noisy  songs ;  while  at  the  top  the  psalms  were 
intoned  and  the  antiphon  was  sung.    Both  sounded  hor- 


COUNTESS    THEUDELINDE  75 

rible  in  my  ears.  The  dishes  contained  cooked  hazel- 
hens  and  roast  pheasants,  with  the  feathers  sticking  in 
their  heads;  sparkhng  wine  filled  the  cups,  I  was 
pressed  to  eat  and  drink,  but  neither  the  food  nor  the 
liquor  had  any  taste.  Once  the  bride,  my  cousin,  as  is 
the  custom  with  very  young  girls,  offered  me  the  spur  of 
the  pheasant's  breast,  saying,  jokingly, '  Break  this  spur 
with  me,  and  we  shall  see  which  of  us  two  gets  a  hus- 
band first.'  I  seized  hold  of  my  end  of  the  spur ;  I 
tugged  and  tugged,  and  at  last  broke  it.  The  largest 
half  remained  in  my  hand.  The  bride  laughed.  'Theu- 
delinde  shall  be  the  first  married  !'  she  cried,  I  blushed  ; 
it  seemed  to  me  something  terrible  that  the  spirits  of  my 
dead  ancestors  should  be  so  frivolous," 

The  worthy  pastor  said  nothing.  Nevertheless,  he 
was  minded  to  agree  with  his  penitent.  He  could  not 
imagine  w^hy  blessed  souls,  or  even  condemned  ones, 
should  occupy  themselves  breaking  pheasant  bones  with 
an  old  maid,  of  all  people  in  the  world. 

"What  gave  me  most  offence,"  continued  Theude- 
linde,  "was  the  outrageous  behavior  of  my  uncle  Ladis- 
laus.  One  minute  he  shrieked,  then  laughed  loudly, 
sang  horrid  songs.  Again  he  broke  out  into  fearful 
curses,  scorned  the  saints,  the  pope,  the  sacraments, 
made  witticisms  that  brought  a  blush  to  the  faces  of  the 
ladies,  and  blew  all  his  tobacco-smoke  over  me.  I 
shook  the  skirt  of  my  green  silk  to  prevent  the  hor- 
rid smell  sticking  to  it,  but  I  felt  this  precaution 
was  of  little  use.  My  uncle  Ladislaus  began  then  to 
tease  me,  and  said  I  had  concealed  the  prophetic  bone 
in  the  pocket  of  my  green  dress.  My  face  glowed  with 
shame,  for  it  was  true.  I  denied  it,  however,  where- 
upon he  began  to  swear  in  his  heathenish  way,  and  to 
thump  with   his  fists  on  the  table  until   the  vault    re- 


76  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

sounded  with  his  blows.  My  cousins  put  their  hands 
over  his  mouth.  Then  he  spoke  through  his  empty 
eye-sockets.  It  was  terrible  1  He  cursed  all  the  saints 
in  the  calendar  and  the  emperor.  My  great-uncle,  the 
archbishop,  stretched  out  his  hands  and  damned  him ; 
my  grandfather,  the  chancellor,  sealed  the  sentence ; 
and  my  great-uncle,  the  field- marshal,  drew  his  sword 
and  cut  off  my  uncle's  death's-head.  The  head  rolled 
over,  and  fell  at  my  feet,  still  holding  the  pipe  between 
its  teeth,  and  blew  its  filthy  breath  over  me.  Then  I 
arose  and  fled." 

The  pastor  had  now  made  up  his  mind  that  the  whole 
story  was  nothing  but  the  dream  of  an  hysterical  wom- 
an. It  was  strange,  however,  that  the  countess  should 
have  the  same  vision  so  often,  and  that  it  should  always 
begin  in  the  same  manner. 

As  she  now  concluded  her  recital  with  the  words, 
"As  I  took  off  my  silk  dress  it  smelled  horribly  of  tobacco- 
smoke,"  a  brilliant  idea  came  to  Father  Mahok. 

"Will  you  excuse  my  asking  you  where  your  green 
dress  is  ?"  he  asked,  gravely. 

The  countess  betrayed  some  embarrassment. 

"  I  do  not  know.  My  wardrobe  is  in  the  care  of 
Fraulein  Emerenzia — " 

"  Allow  me  to  ask  you  the  question,  did  you  not  take 
the  dress  off  in  this  apartment?" 

"  I  no  longer  remember.  Emerenzia  has  been  here 
since  ;   she  may  know." 

"Will  you  grant  me  the  favor,  countess,  to  send  for 
Fraulein  Emerenzia?" 

"Certainly.     She  will  be  here  in  a  minute." 

The  countess  pressed  her  finger  twice  on  the  electric 
apparatus,  and  the  companion  entered. 

"Fraulein,"  said   the   countess,  "you  remember  my 


COUNTESS    THEUDELINDE  77 

green  Gros  de  Naples  silk,  bordered  with  a  trimming 
of  fur  ?" 

"Yes;  it  is  a  pelisse  of  peculiar  cut,  with  hanging 
sleeves,  and  fastened  by  a  silk  band  and  buckle/' 

"  That  is  the  dress,"  returned  the  countess.  "  Where 
is  it?" 

"  In  the  wardrobe.  I  hung  it  there  myself,  first  put- 
ting camphor  in  the  sleeves,  that  the  moths  might  not 
get  at  the  fur." 

"  When  did  you  do  this  ?" 

"  Last  summer." 

The  pastor  laughed  slyly  to  himself.  "Now,"  thought 
he,  "  the  countess  must  be  convinced  that  she  dreamed 
the  whole  scene  she  has  so  accurately  described." 

"Have  I  not  worn  it  since  last  summer?"  questioned 
Theudelinde. 

"  Not  once.  The  open-hanging  sleeves  are  only  for 
the  hottest  weather." 

"Impossible!'' 

"But,  countess,"  put  in  the  priest,  "it  is  easy  to  con- 
vince yourself  of  what  ma'm'selle  says.  You  have  only 
to  look  into  the  wardrobe.     Who  keeps  the  key  ?" 

"  Ma'm'selle  Emerenzia." 

"  Do  you  command  me  to  open  the  press  ?"  asked  the 
companion,  with  a  discomfited  look. 

"  I  do,"  answered  the  countess,  nodding  to  the  pastor 
to  follow  her  into  the  next  room. 

Emerenzia,  her  face  puckered  into  an  expression  of 
annoyance,  drew  her  bunch  of  keys  from  her  pocket, 
and  placed  one  in  the  lock  of  an  antique  and  highly  or- 
namented press,  of  which  she  threw  the  doors  open. 
At  least  fifty  silk  dresses  hung  there,  side  by  side.  The 
countess  never  allowed  any  of  her  clothes  to  get  into 
strange   hands ;    no   man's   eye   should  ever  rest   upon 


78  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

what  she  had  worn.  Through  this  museum  of  old 
clothes  Emerenzia's  fingers  went  with  unerring  cer- 
tainty, and  drew  forth  the  oft-mentioned  green  silk  dress 
with  the  fur  trimming. 

"  Here  it  is,"  she  said,  shortly. 

The  pastor  was  triumphant,  but  the  countess,  whose 
nerves  were  more  impressionable  than  those  of  ordinary 
mortals,  grew  suddenly  pale  and  began  to  shake  all 
over. 

"  Take  that  dress  down,"  she  said,  in  a  whisper.  And 
Emerenzia,  with  a  jerk,  tore  it  from  its  peg.  What,  in 
Heaven's  name,  had  come  to  the  pastor  and  her  mis- 
tress ? 

The  countess  took  it  from  her  hand,  and  held  it,  while 
she  turned  her  head  the  other  way,  across  his  nose. 

"  Do  you  smell  it .?"  she  said.     "  Is  it  tobacco-smoke  .?" 

Father  Mahok  was  astonished.  This  fine  silk  dress, 
straight  from  out  of  a  lady's  wardrobe,  smelled  as  strong- 
ly of  the  commonest  tobacco  as  the  coat  of  a  peasant 
who  had  passed  his  night  in  an  ale-house.  Before  he 
could  answer  Theudelinde's  question  she  was  ready  with 
another.  From  the  pocket  of  the  green  Gros  de  Naples 
she  now  drew  forth  a  broken  pheasant  bone. 

"And  this.?"  she  asked.  But  here  her  strength  was 
exhausted.  Without  waiting  for  a  reply,  she  fell  faint- 
ing on  the  sofa. 

Emerenzia,  sobbing  loudly,  fell  helplessly  into  an  arm- 
chair. The  clergyman  was  so  upset  by  the  whole  thing 
that,  in  his  embarrassment,  he  opened  the  doors  of  three 
more  wardrobes  before  finding  the  one  which  communi- 
cated with  the  sitting-room.  Then  he  summoned  the 
servants  to  attend  to  their  mistress.  The  evidence  of 
witchcraft  was  proved. 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE     countess's     ALBUM 

The  worthy  Pastor  Mahok  was  of  opinion  that  the 
mystery  of  the  countess's  dress  smelling  so  strongly  of 
tobacco-smoke  could  not  be  accounted  for  by  any  law  of 
Nature,  and  judged,  therefore,  by  the  light  of  his  priestly 
office,  as  well  as  from  his  worldly  experience,  that  these 
diabolical  visions  were  matters  worthy  of  deep  consider- 
ation on  his  part.  They  occupied  his  mind  during  din- 
ner, which  he  partook  of  in  company  with  the  countess's 
companion,  but  of  the  subject  of  his  thoughts  he  spoke 
no  word  to  her.  They  were  alone  at  table.  The  countess 
remained  in  her  room,  as  was  her  habit  when  she  suf- 
fered from  what  was  called  "cramps,"  and  her  only  re- 
freshment was  some  light  soup.  After  dinner  she  again 
sent  for  the  pastor. 

He  found  her  lying  on  the  sofa,  pale  and  exhausted  ; 
her  first  words  had  reference  to  the  subject  which  filled 
both  their  minds. 

"  Are  you  now  convinced,"  she  said,  "that  what  I  told 
you  was,  indeed,  no  dream  ?" 

"  Doubtless  there  has  been  some  strange  work  going 
on." 

"  Is  it  the  work,  think  you,  of  good  or  bad  spirits  ?" 
asked  the  countess,  raising  her  eyes. 

"That  can  only  be  ascertained  by  a  trial." 

"What  sort  of  a  trial,  holv  father  ?" 


8o  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  An  attempt  to  exorcise  them.  If  these  spirits  who 
every  night  leave  their  graves  are  good,  they  must,  by 
the  strength  of  the  exorcism,  return  to  their  resting- 
places,  and  remain  there  till  summoned  by  the  angel's 
trumpet  to  arise  on  the  last  day." 

"And  in  case  they  don't  return?"  inquired  the  count- 
ess, anxiously. 

"Then  they  are  bad  spirits." 

"That  is  to  say,  damned.     How  do  you  know  that.'"' 

For  a  minute  there  was  a  struggle  in  the  pastor's 
mind  ;  then  he  answered,  boldly: 

"  This  night  I  shall  keep  watch  in  the  castle." 

"And  if  you  hear  the  unearthly  noises  ?" 

"Then  I  shall  descend  into  the  vault,  and  scatter  the 
ghosts  with  holy  water." 

The  countess's  face  glowed  with  fervor  as  she  ex- 
claimed : 

"  Holy  father,  I  shall  accompany  you." 

"  No,  countess ;  no  one  shall  accompany  me  but  my 
sacristan." 

"  The  sacristan  !  A  man  !  He  shall  not  put  his  foot 
in  this  house  !"  cried  the  countess,  excitedly. 

The  pastor,  in  a  soothing  voice,  explained  to  her  that 
his  sacristan  was  almost  as  much  a  part  of  the  Church 
as  himself ;  moreover,  that  he  was  absolutely  necessary 
on  this  occasion  for  the  performance  of  the  exor- 
cism ;  in  fact,  wdthout  him  the  ceremony  could  not  take 
place,  seeing  that  the  sacred  vessel  containing  the 
holy  water,  the  crucibulum  and  lanterns,  should  be  car- 
ried before  him  to  give  all  due  effect  to  the  religious 
rite. 

Under  these  circumstances  Countess  Theudelinde 
gave  her  consent,  on  the  condition  that  the  obnoxious 
male  intruder  should  not  enter  the  castle  itself.     Still 


THE    countess's    ALBUM  8l 

more,  the  pastor  promised  to  watch  in  the  greenhouse 
after  the  castle  gates  were  locked. 

According  to  these  arrangements,  when  it  began  to 
get  dark,  Father  Mahok  arrived,  bringing  with  him  his 
sacristan,  a  man  of  about  forty,  with  a  closely  shaved 
mustache  and  a  very  copper-colored  face.  The  pastor 
left  him  in  the  greenhouse,  and  proceeded  himself  to 
the  dining-room,  where  the  countess  was  awaiting  him 
for  supper.  No  one  ate  a  morsel.  The  pastor  had  no 
appetite,  neither  had  the  countess,  nor  her  companion. 
The  air  was  too  full  of  the  coming  event  to  allow  of 
such  a  gross  thing  as  eating. 

After  supper  the  countess  withdrew  to  her  room,  and 
Herr  Mahok  went  to  the  greenhouse,  where  the  sacristan 
had  made  himself  comfortable  with  wine  and  meat,  and 
had  kept  up  the  fires  in  the  oven.  The  servants  had 
been  kept  in  ignorance  of  what  was  going  on  ;  they  had 
never  heard  the  midnight  mass,  nor  the  wild  shrieks 
and  infamous  songs  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  vault,  and 
the  countess  would  not  allow  the  ears  of  her  innocent 
handmaidens  to  be  polluted  with  such  horrors.  There- 
fore, every  one  in  the  castle  slept.  The  pastor  watched 
alone.  At  first  Herr  Mahok  tried  to  pass  the  long 
hours  of  the  night  in  reading  his  prayers,  but  as  his 
habitual  hour  for  sleep  drew  near  he  had  to  fight  a 
hard  battle  with  his  closing  eyelids.  He  was  afraid  that 
if  he  slumbered  his  imagination  would  reproduce  the 
countess's  dream,  to  which,  be  it  said,  he  did  not  give 
credence;  at  the  same  time,  he  did  not  wholly  doubt. 
Generally,  he  found  that  his  breviary  provoked  sleep, 
and  now  he  thought  it  better  to  close  the  book,  and  try 
what  conversation  with  the  sacristan  would  do  as  a 
means  to  keep  awake. 

The  clerk's  discourse  naturally  turned  upon  ghostly 


/euoO 


82  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

appearances  ;  he  told  stories  of  a  monk  without  a  head, 
of  spirits  that  appeared  on  certain  nights  in  the  year,  of 
hobgoblins  and  witches,  all  of  which  he  had  either  seen 
with  his  own  eyes  or  had  heard  of  from  persons  whose 
veracity  was  unimpeachable. 

''  Folly  !  lies  !"  said  the  excellent  pastor ;  but  he  could 
not  help  a  creeping  sensation  coming  over  him.  If  he 
could  even  have  smoked,  it  would  have  strengthened  his 
nerves ;  but  smoking  was  forbidden  in  the  castle.  The 
countess  would  have  smelled  it,  as  the  giant  in  the  old 
fairy  tale  smelled  human  flesh. 

When  the  sacristan  found  that  all  his  wonderful  tales 
of  ghosts  and  hobgoblins  were  considered  lies,  he  thought 
it  was  no  use  tiring  himself  talking,  and  as  soon  as  he 
ceased  sleep  began  to  fall  upon  his  eyelids.  Seated 
upon  a  stool,  his  head  leaning  against  the  w^all,  his 
mouth  open,  he  slept  profoundly,  to  the  envy,  if  not 
the  admiration,  of  the  good  pastor,  who  would  w^illingly 
have  followed  his  example.  Soon  some  very  unmusical 
sounds  made  themselves  heard.  The  sacristan  snored 
in  all  manner  of  keys,  in  all  variations  of  nasal  discord, 
which  so  jarred  on  the  pastor's  nerves  that  he  several 
times  shook  the  sleeper  to  awake  him,  with  the  result 
that  he  slept  again  in  no  time. 

At  last  the  clock  on  the  castle  tower  chimed  twelve. 
Herr  Mahok  struck  the  sacristan  a  good  blow  on  his 
shoulder. 

"  Get  up !"  he  said.  "  I  did  not  bring  you  here  to 
sleep," 

The  clerk  rubbed  his  eyes,  already  drunk  with  sleep. 
The  pastor  took  his  snuff-box  to  brighten  himself  up 
with  a  pinch  of  snuff,  when  suddenly  both  men  were 
roused  out  of  all  the  torpor  of  sleep  by  other  means. 
Just  as  the  last  beat  of   the  clock  had  finished  striking 


THE    countess's    ALBUM  83 

the  unearthly  mass  began  to  be  intoned  in  the  vault  be- 
low. Through  the  profound  silence  of  the  night  was 
heard  the  voice  of  the  priest  singing  the  Latin  mass, 
with  the  responses  of  the  choir,  accompanied  by  some 
instrument  that  sounded  like  an  organ,  but  which  had 
a  shriller  tone,  and  seemed  to  be  a  parody  of  the 
same. 

Over  the  whole  body  of  Herr  Mahok  crept  a  ghostly 
shiver. 

"  Do  you  hear  it  ?''  he  asked  the  sacristan,  in  a  whis- 
per. 

"  Hear  it  ?  Who  could  help  hearing  it .?  Mass  is 
saying  somewhere." 

"  Here,  under  us,  in  the  vault." 

"Who  can  it  be  ?" 

"  The  devil !  All  good  spirits  praise  the  Lord,"  stam- 
mered the  worthy  pastor,  making  the  sign  of  the  cross 
three  times. 

"  But  it  seems  that  the  evil  spirits  praise  the  Lord  as 
well  as  the  good  ones,"  returned  the  clerk. 

This  assertion  of  his  was,  however,  quickly  contradict- 
ed, for  in  the  middle  of  the  next  psalm  a  diabolical  cho- 
rus struck  in  wildly,  and  the  air  resounded  with — 

"  Come,  dearest,  come  to  me. 
Come,  I  am  at  home  ; 
Two  gypsies  play  for  me, 
And  here  I  dance  alone." 

Then  followed  shrieks  of  laughter,  in  which  women's 
shrill  cackle  mingled  with  the  hoarse  roar  of  men  and 
the  wildest  discord,  as  if  hell  itself  were  let  loose. 

The  poor  priest,  who  had  trembled  at  the  pious 
psalms,  nearly  fell  to  the  ground  on  hearing  this  pan- 
demonium.    A  cold  sweat  broke  out  all  over  him ;  he 


84  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

knew  now  that  the  countess  was  right,  and  that  this  was, 
in  truth,  the  work  of  the  evil  one. 

"  Michael,"  he  said,  his  teeth  chattering  with  fear, 
"  have  you  heard — " 

"  I  must  be  stone  deaf  if  I  didn't — such  an  infernal 
din!"  replied  the  other.  "All  the  spirits  of  hell  are 
holding  a  Sabbath — " 

Just  then  there  was  the  tinkle  of  a  bell.  The  tumult 
subsided,  and  the  voice  of  the  celebrant  was  once  more 
heard  intoning  mass. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?"  asked  Herr  Mahok. 

"What  shall  we  do?  Descend  into  the  vault  and  ex- 
orcise the  evil  spirits." 

"  What !"  cried  the  priest.     "  Alone  ?" 

"Alone!"  repeated  Michael,  with  religious  fervor. 
"  Are  we  alone  when  we  come  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
of  armies?  Besides,  we  are  two.  If  I  were  a  priest, 
and  if  I  were  invested  with  the  stole,  had  I  the  right  to 
wear  the  three-cornered  hat,  I  should  go  into  the  vault, 
carrying  the  holy  water,  and  with  the  words,  'Apage 
Satanas,'  I  w^ould  drive  before  me  all  the  legions  of  hell 
itself." 

The  excellent  pastor  felt  ashamed  that  his  ignorant 
sacristan  should  possess  greater  faith,  and  show  more 
courage  in  this  combat  with  the  powers  of  darkness, 
than  himself;  still,  fear  predominated  over  his  shame. 

"I  would  willingly  face  these  demons,"  he  said,  in 
a  somewhat  hesitating  manner,  "were  it  not  that  the 
gout  has  suddenly  seized  my  right  foot.  I  am  not  able 
to  walk." 

"But  consider  what  a  scandal  it  will  be  if  we,  who 
have  heard  the  spirits,  have  not  pluck  enough  to  send 
them  packing." 

"  But  my  foot,  Michael ;  I  cannot  move  my  foot" 


THE    countess's    ALBUM  85 

"Well,  then,  I  will  carry  you  on  my  back.  You  can 
hold  the  holy  water  and  I  will  take  the  lantern." 

There  was  no  way  out  of  this  friendly  offer.  The  pastor 
commended  his  soul  to  God,  and,  taking  heart,  resolved 
to  fight  the  demons  below^,  armed  only  with  the  holy 
insignia  of  his  office.  The  good  man,  however,  did  not 
mount,  like  Anchises  on  the  back  of  ^neas,  without 
much  inward  misgiving. 

"You  will  be  careful,  jMichael;  you  will  not  let  me 
fall  ?"  he  said,  in  a  somewhat  quavering  voice. 

"  Don't  be  afraid,  pastor,"  returned  the  sacristan,  as 
he  stooped  and  raised  the  pastor  on  his  shoulders. 
"  Now,  forward  !"  he  cried,  taking  the  lantern  in  his 
hands,  while  Herr  Mahok  carried  the  vessels  necessary 
for  the  exorcism. 

A  cold  blast  of  air  saluted  them  as  they  issued  from 
the  greenhouse  and  crossed  the  large  hall  of  the  castle, 
which  the  glimmering  light  from  the  small  lantern  only 
faintly  illumined.  Half  of  it  remained  in  darkness; 
but  on  the  side  of  the  wall  where  hung  the  portraits 
of  the  armed  knights  an  occasional  gleam  showed  Herr 
Mahok  the  faces  of  the  countess's  warlike  ancestors, 
who  had  done  in  their  day  good  service  against  tiie 
Turks.  They  looked  at  him,  he  thought,  somewhat  con- 
temptuously, and  seemed  to  say,  "What  sort  of  man  is 
this,  who  goes  to  fight  pickaback  ?" 

Michael  stopped  before  a  strong  iron  door  in  the 
centre  of  the  hall.  This  was  the  entrance  to  the  sub- 
terranean vaults  and  cellars  underneath  the  castle. 
And  now  the  pastor  suddenly  remembered  he  had  left 
the  key  of  this  gate  in  the  greenhouse.  There  was  noth- 
ing for  it  but  to  retrace  their  steps.  Just  as  they 
reached  the  threshold,  however,  Michael  suggested  that 
something   very   hard    was    pressing   against    his    side. 


86  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Could  it  be  the  key  -which  was,  after  all,  in  his  rever- 
ence's pocket?  This  suggestion  proved  correct,  and 
once  more  he  had  to  run  the  gantlet  of  the  old  cru- 
saders and  their  contemptuous  superiority. 

The  key  creaked  as  it  turned  in  the  lock,  and  a 
heavy,  damp  smell  struck  upon  them  as  they  passed 
through  the  iron  gate. 

"  Leave  the  door  open,"  said  the  pastor,  with  an  eye 
to  securing  a  safe  retreat. 

And  now  they  began  to  descend  the  steps,  Herr 
Mahok  remarking  that  his  horse  was  not  too  sure-footed. 
He  tottered  in  going  down  the  steps  so  much  that  the 
pastor,  in  his  fright,  caught  him  with  his  left  hand 
tightly  by  the  collar,  while  he  pressed  the  other  more 
closely  round  his  throat,  a  proceeding  which  Michael 
resented  by  calling  out,  in  a  strangled  voice  : 

"Reverend  sir,  don't  squeeze  me  so  ;  I  am  suffocat- 
ing!" 

"What  was  that.?" 

A  black  object  whizzed  past  them,  circling  round 
their  heads.  A  bat,  the  well-known  attendant  upon 
ghosts ! 

"  We  shall  be  there  in  a  few  minutes,"  said  the  clerk, 
to  encourage  his  rider,  whose  teeth  chattered  audibly. 

While  they  were  descending  the  steps  the  noise  in  the 
vault  had  been  less  audible,  but  now,  as  they  came  into 
the  passages  which  ran  underneath  the  hall,  it  broke  out 
again  in  the  most  horrible  discord.  The  passage  was 
long,  and  there  were  two  wings ;  one  led  to  the  cellars 
proper,  the  other  to  the  vaults.  Opposite  to  the  steps 
there  was  a  cross  passage,  at  the  end  of  which,  by  as- 
cending some  seven  or  eight  steps  and  passing  through 
a  lattice  door,  you  could  get  into  the  open  air.  This 
lattice   served    likewise    as    a   means  of  ventilatin";  the 


THE    countess's   ALBUM  87 

passages,  and  on  this  particular  night  there  was  such  a 
strong  current  of  air  that  the  light  in  the  lantern  was  in 
danger  every  minute  of  being  blown  out.  It  would  have 
been  well  if  that  were  all.  The  sacristan  hadn't  taken 
three  steps  in  the  direction  of  the  vault  before  a  terrible 
sight  revealed  itself  to  both  men. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  passage  a  blue  flame  burned ; 
before  the  flame  there  stood,  or  sat,  or  jumped,  a  dwarfish 
figure  all  in  white.  It  was  not  three  feet  in  height,  and, 
nevertheless,  its  head  was  of  monstrous  size.  As  the 
sacristan,  with  the  pastor,  drew  near  this  horrid  ap- 
pearance, the  blue  flame  suddenly  flared  up,  throwing  a 
bright,  whitish  light  all  over  the  passage,  and  by  this 
light  the  terrified  spectators  beheld  the  dwarfish  figure 
stretch  itself  out,  and  grow  taller  and  taller — six,  eight, 
twelve  feet— and  still  it  grew  and  grew.  Its  shadow 
danced  in  the  light  of  the  blue. flame  upon  the  marble 
floor  of  the  passage  like  a  black  serpent.  Then  the  fear- 
ful appearance  raised  its  head,  and  the  vaulted  roof 
echoed  with  its  howls  and  shrieks. 

Michael's  courage  flew  out  of  the  window.  He  turned, 
and,  burdened  as  he  Avas  with  the  weight  of  the  pastor 
on  his  back,  he  ran  back  as  fast  as  he  could.  In  the 
middle  of  the  passage,  however,  he  made  a  false  step 
and  fell,  with  Herr  Mahok,  flat  upon  his  face.  In  the 
fall  he  broke  the  lantern,  the  light  went  out,  and  left 
them  in  the  dark.  Groping  along  with  outstretched 
hands,  they  missed  the  steps  which  led  up  to  the  iron 
gate,  but  after  some  time  found  themselves  in  the  cross 
passage,  and  saw  the  soft  light  of  the  moon  shining 
through  the  lattice  window.  They  made  at  once  for  the 
door.  At  first  there  was  some  difficulty  in  opening  it, 
but  Michael  managed  to  force  it,  and,  to  their  great  joy, 
they  were  once  more  in  the  open  air.     Over  the  stubble, 


88  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

through  the  thorn-bushes  they  flew,  never  pausing  to 
look  back.  Singularly  enough,  the  gout  in  the  pastor's 
foot  in  no  way  affected  his  speed.  He  ran  quite  as  fast 
as  Michael,  and  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  was  in 
his  bed.  So,  too,  the  sacristan,  whose  fright  produced 
an  attack  of  fever,  which  kept  him  a  prisoner  there  for 
three  days. 

The  next  morning  Herr  Mahok,  with  many  inward 
qualms,  went  up  to  the  castle.  His  was  an  honest, 
simple  mind;  he  preferred  rather  to  believe  in  the  wiles 
of  the  devil  than  in  the  wickedness  of  human  nature  ;  he 
credited  what  he  had  seen  with  his  own  eyes,  and  never 
sought  to  penetrate  the  dark  veil  which  shrouds  many 
supernatural  mysteries.  He  believed  firmly  that  he  had 
now  to  do  with  damned  spirits,  who  at  their  midnight 
orgies  cracked  pheasant  bones  to  see  who  should  first 
be  married. 

He  found  the  countess  in  good  humor;  she  was 
friendly,  lively,  and  received  her  visitor  with  a  smiling 
countenance.  This  change  did  not  surprise  Herr  Ma- 
hok. He  was  by  this  time  accustomed  to  the  caprices 
of  Countess  Theudelinde.  One  day  she  was  out  of 
humor,  the  next  all  serenity. 

The  pastor  went  straight  to  the  kernel  he  had  to  crack. 

"  I  watched  last  night,"  he  said. 

"Oh,  father,  thanks,  ten  thousand  thanks!  Your 
mere  presence  has  been  sufficient  to  banish  the  evil 
spirits  which  have  haunted  the  castle  for  so  long.  Last 
night  all  was  peace  ;  not  a  sound  did  I  hear." 

"  Not  a  sound  !"  cried  the  pastor,  rising  from  his 
chair  in  his  astonishment  at  such  a  statement.  "  Count- 
ess, is  it  possible  that  you  did  not  hear  the  noise  ?" 

"Profound  repose.  Arcadian  peace,  reigned  in  the 
house,  both  up-stairs  and  below." 


THE    countess's    ALBUM  89 

"  But  I  was  there,  and  awake.  I  did  not  dream  it. 
And,  moreover,  I  can  show  you  the  bruises  and  abrasions 
on  my  elbow ;  they  witness  to  the  fall  we  had,  to  say 
nothing  of  Michael,  the  sacristan,  who  is  this  moment 
in  a  high  fever  in  consequence.  No,  never  did  any  one 
hear  so  demoniacal,  so  terrible  a  noise  as  echoed  through 
the  vault  last  night.  I  was  there  myself,  countess,  in 
my  own  person.  I  was  ready  to  encounter  the  wicked 
spirits ;  I  would  have  met  them  armed  with  all  the 
terrors  of  Mother  Church,  but  the  courage  of  my  weak- 
kneed  sacristan  failed.  I  have  now  come  to  tell  you 
that  my  knowledge  is  at  an  end.  This  castle  is  be- 
witched, and,  countess,  my  advice  to  you  is  to  leave  it 
without  delay,  and  to  take  up  your  residence  in  a  city, 
where  your  family  ghost  cannot  follow  you." 

The  countess  placed  the  middle  finger  of  her  left 
hand  upon  her  breast,  and  spoke  with  haughty  dignity: 

"  I  leave  this  castle  because  the  spirits  of  my  ances- 
tors dwell  here  !  Your  advice,  reverend  father,  shows 
how  little  you  know  me.  To  my  mind,  it  is  a  power- 
ful reason  for  remaining.  Here  the  spirits  of  my  fore- 
fathers, the  ghosts  of  ancestors,  surround  me.  They 
know  me,  they  claim  me  as  theirs;  they  honor  me  with 
their  visits,  with  their  invitations,  and  you  counsel  me 
to  abandon  them.  Never!  Bondavara  is  dearer  to  me 
than  ever;  the  presence  of  my  ancestors  has  doubled 
its  value  a  hundredfold." 

It  was  on  the  tip  of  Herr  Mahok's  tongue  to  answer, 
"  Well,  then,  remain  here  by  all  means,  but  for  my  part 
I  give  my  resignation;  provide  yourself  with  another 
confessor."  He  restrained  himself,  however,  and  said, 
quietly  : 

"Will  you  tell  me,  countess,  how  it  happens  that,  if 
you    have    these    close    relations    with    your    ancestors' 


90 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


spirits,  you  heard  nothing  of  the  witch's  Sabbatli  they 
kept  last  night  ?" 

At  this  bold  question  the  countess's  pale  cheeks  were 
suddenly  decorated  by  two  carnation  spots ;  her  eyes 
fell  before  the  sharp  look  of  her  father  confessor,  and, 
striking  her  breast  with  her  hand,  she  sank  slowly  on 
her  knees,  whispering,  in  great  agitation  : 

"Pater,  peccavi.  There  is  something  which  I  have 
never  confessed  to  you,  and  which  lies  heavy  on  my 
conscience." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Oh,  I  fear  to  tell  you  !" 

"Daughter,  fear  nothing,"  said  the  priest,  soothingly. 
"God  is  merciful  ta  human  weakness." 

"I  believe  that;  but  I  am  more  afraid  that  you  will 
laugh  at  me." 

"Ah!"  And  the  pastor,  at  this  strange  speech,  fell 
back  in  his  chair,  smiling  to  himself. 

The  countess  rose  from  her  kneeling  position  and  went 
to  her  writing-table ;  she  opened  a  secret  draw^er,  and 
took  from  thence  an  album.  It  was  a  splendid  book 
with  an  ivory  cover,  chasings  of  gilt  enamel,  and  clasp 
of  the  same. 

"  Will  you  look  through  this  album,  father  ?" 

The  priest  opened  the  clasp,  took  off  the  cover,  and 
saw  a  collection  of  cabinet  photographs,  such  as  are  gen- 
erally to  be  found  on  drawing-room  tables.  There  were 
portraits  of  eminent  statesmen,  poets,  actors,  with  whose 
likenesses  all  the  world  is  familiar.  Two  points  were 
remarkable  in  this  gallery — one,  that  no  one  was  in- 
cluded who  had  any  scandal  connected  with  his  name; 
secondly,  it  was  only  clean-shaved  men  w^ho  had  a  place 
in  the  volume.  Herr  Mahok  recognized  many  whom  he 
knew^  either  by  sight  or  personally — Liszt,  Reme'nyi,  the 


THE    COUNTESS  S    ALBUM  9 1 

actors  Lendvay,  Szerdahelyi,  and  others,  together  with 
many  foreign  celebrities,  who  wore  neither  beard  nor 
mustache.  Another  peculiarity  struck  the  pastor.  Sev- 
eral of  the  leaves,  instead  of  portraits,  had  pieces  of 
black  crape  inserted  into  the  frames.  This  circum- 
stance made  him  reflective. 

"  It  is  a  very  interesting  volume,"  he  said,  closing  the 
book;  "but  Avhat  has  it  to  do  with  the  present  circum- 
stances ?" 

"I  confess  to  you,"  said  the  countess,  in  a  low  voice, 
"  that  this  book  is  a  memorial  of  my  folly  and  weakness. 
A  picture-dealer  in  Vienna  has  for  many  years  had  an 
order  from  me  ;  he  sends  me  every  photograph  that 
comes  out  of  clean-shaved  men,  and  I  seek  among  them 
for  my  ideal.  I  have  been  seeking  many  years.  Some- 
times I  imagine  I  have  found  it;  some  one  of  the  por- 
traits takes  my  fancy.  I  call  the  mnn  whom  it  repre- 
sents my  betrothed.  I  place  the  photograph  before 
me;  I  dream  for  hours  looking  at  it;  I  almost  fancy 
that  it  speaks  to  me.  We  say  to  one  another  all  man- 
ner of  things — sweet  nothings,  but  they  fill  my  mind 
with  a  sort  of  ecstasy.  It  is  silly,  I  know,  and  some- 
thing tells  me  that  it  is  worse  than  silly,  that  it  is  sinful. 
I  have  been  for  a  long  time  wondering  whether  I  should 
confess  this  as  a  sin,  or  keep  silence  about  such  foolish 
nonsense.     What  is  your  opinion,  father.^" 

Herr  Mahok,  in  truth,  did  not  know  what  to  say.  It 
was  true  that  in  the  Scripture  some  words  were  said 
about  sinning  with  the  eyes,  but  photographs  were  not 
named.     He  answered,  vaguely — 

"  Anything  further,  my  daughter  ?" 

"  After  I  had  for  some  time  been  silly  over  one  of  the 
portraits,  I  saw  in  a  dream  the  man  it  represented.  He 
appeared  to  me  as  a  beautiful  apparition,  we  walked  to- 


92  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

gether  through  fields  and  meadows,  arm-in-arm;  a  sort 
of  heavenly  halo  surrounded  us,  flowers  sprang  up  under 
our  feet.  We  were  young,  and  we  loved  one  another." 
The  poor  lady  wept  bitt'erly  as  she  related  her  dream, 
and  she  sobbed  as  she  said,  "  Is  not  this  a  sin,  father  V 

Herr  Mahok  had  no  hesitation  in  answering.  He  had 
found  the  name  of  the  sin — it  was  witchcraft ;  but  the 
form  the  penance  should  take  puzzled  him.  The  count- 
ess, however,  helped  him  to  a  decision, 

"  Ah,"  she  said,  sadly,  "  I  thought  it  was  some  demo- 
niac possession  ;  and  for  these  visions,  sweet  as  they 
were,  I  must  now  do  penance.  Is  it  not  so,  father .'' 
Will  it  satisfy  for  my  fault  if  I  burn  in  the  fire  the  por- 
trait of  the  man  who  appeared  to  me  in  my  dream,  and 
fill  the  empty  space  in  my  book  with  black  crape?" 

This  remark  explained  the  many  frames  filled  with 
crape.  The  pastor  thought  that  the  penance  was  well 
chosen.     Nothing  could  be  better  than  a  burnt-offering. 

Theudelinde  continued,  "During  these  visions  I  lie  in 
a  profound  slumber.  My  soul  is  no  longer  on  the  earth; 
T  am  in  the  paradise  of  lovers.  No  earthly  feeling  chains 
me  here  below;  I  am  a  clear  spirit,  consequently  no 
sound  reaches  me.  I  am  as  deaf  to  this  world  as  if  I 
were  already  dead." 

"Therefore  the  ghostly  tumult  never  reached  you  last 
night;  you  were  wandering  in  your  dream  world." 

"  I  confess  it  was  so,"  whispered  the  countess,  cover- 
ing her  face  with  her  hands. 

"  Now,  here  is  a  nice  state  of  things  !"  thought  the 
pastor.  "  The  dead  ancestors  play  all  manner  of  pranks 
in  the  family  vault,  while  their  descendant  projects  her- 
self out  of  her  human  body  to  make  love  in  some  other 
region.  They  are,  indeed,  an  extraordinary  race.  A  poor 
man  daren't  even  think  of  such  extravagances,  and  how 


THE    COUNTESS  S    ALBUM 


93 


can  I,  a  poor  parish  priest,  deal  with  such  queer  goings- 
on  ?  I  only  know  how  to  settle  with  the  every-day  pen- 
itent, who  commits  the  usual  sins." 

This  complication,  in  truth,  of  the  ghosts  below  and 
the  bewitched  countess  above,  was  too  much  for  a  man 
of  his  calibre  to  deal  with.  It  required  a  superior  genius 
to  exorcise  the  spirits  and  to  calm  the  hysterical  mind 
of  Theudelinde.  In  the  difficulty  it  appeared  to  him 
better  to  temporize. 

"My  daughter,  the  penance  you  have  imposed  upon 
yourself  is  well  thought  of.  Have  you  already  com- 
mitted to  the  flames  the  portrait  of  the  last  demoniacal 
appearance  ?" 

"  No,"  answered  the  countess,  witli  all  the  hesitation 
a  young  girl  would  have  in  speaking  of  her  lover's 
picture. 

"And  why  not  ?''  questioned  the  priest,  almost  sternly. 
He  was  glad  to  find  some  tangible  fault. 

"It  would  be  wrong,  I  think,  to  throw  this  particular 
portrait  into  the  fire." 

"  And  wherefore  should  it  be  wrong  ?" 

Before  she  replied  the  countess  opened  a  concealed 
pocket  of  the  album  and  drew  forth  what  it  contained. 

"  Ah  !"  cried  the  pastor  as  he  took  the  photograph, 
which  he  at  once  recognized  as  the  Abbe  Samuel,  the 
head  of  an  influential  order  which  possessed  many  dif- 
ferent branches. 

"The  photographer  in  Vienna  liad  my  directions  to 
send  me  the  photograph  of  every  clean-shaven  celebrity. 
He,  therefore,  has  committed  the  sin  of  sending  me  the 
portrait  of  an  eminent  priest.    The  fault  is  mine,  not  his." 

"  And  in  your  dreams  have  you  wandered  arm-in-arm 
with  the  original  of  this?"  asked  Herr  Mahok,  still  hold- 
ing in  his  hand  the  photograph. 


94 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


"I  am  guilty!"  stammered  the  countess,  laying  her 
hands  upon  her  breast. 

"Then,"  said  the  pastor,  "Heaven  inspired  you  not  to 
throw  this  portrait,  like  that  of  the  others,  into  the  fire, 
for  in  this  man  you  will  find  a  physician  able  to  cure 
your  sick  soul.  It  is  really  providential  that  this  por- 
trait should  be  in  your  hands,  for  the  others  were  idle, 
foolish  dreams.  Here  you  have  found  your  ideal,  under 
whose  guidance  you  may  hope  to  find  health  and  salva- 
tion. He  will  lead  you,  not  in  a  dream,  but  in  reality, 
to  the  blessed  regions  of  peace  and  true  piety,  where 
alone,  my  daughter,  real  happiness  is  to  be  found.  This 
man  possesses  strength  of  mind  and  elevation  of  charac- 
ter sufficient  to  exorcise  all  the  spirits  which  haunt  your 
castle,  and  to  banish  from  your  mind  those  temptations 
which  spring  from  the  same  source  as  the  more  visible 
demons  which  we  call  ghosts." 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE    EXORCIST 

Acting  upon  the  advice  of  Herr  Mahok,  the  countess 
resolved  to  lay  all  her  troubles  before  a  new  physician 
for  her  soul.  That  very  day  the  pastor  wrote  to  Abbe 
Samuel,  who  was  then  in  Pesth,  inviting  him  to  come  to 
Bondavara  Castle. 

The  abbe  v/as  a  man  of  high  calling;  one  of  those 
priests  who  are  more  or  less  independent  in  their  ideas. 
He  had  friendly  relations  with  certain  personages,  and 
the  initiated  knew  that  certain  articles  with  the  signature 
"  S,"  which  appeared  in  the  opposition  paper,  were  from 
his  pen.  In  society  he  was  agreeable  and  polished,  and 
his  presence  never  hindered  rational  enjoyment.  In  in- 
tellectual circles  he  shone  ;  his  lectures,  which  were  pre- 
pared with  great  care,  were  attended  by  the  elite  of  so- 
ciety, and,  as  a  natural  consequence,  the  ultramontane 
papers  were  much  against  him.  Once,  even,  the  police 
had  paid  him  a  domiciliary  visit,  although  they  them- 
selves did  not  know  wherein  he  had  given  cause  for 
suspicion.  All  these  circumstances  had  raised  his  repu- 
tation, which  had  lately  been  increased  by  the  appear- 
ance of  his  picture  in  a  first-rate  illustrated  journal. 
This  won  for  him  the  general  public.  So  stately  was 
his  air,  his  high,  broad  forehead,  manly,  expressive  feat- 
ures, well-marked  eyebrows,  and  frank,  fearless  look, 
with  nothing  sinister  or  cunning  in  it.     For  the  rest, 


g6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

there  was  little  of  the  priest  about  him  ;  his  well-knit, 
robust,  muscular  form  was  rather  that  of  a  gladiator. 
Through  the  whole  country  he  was  well-known  as  the 
independent  priest,  who  ventured  to  tell  the  government 
what  he  thought. 

For  this  reason  the  excellent  Herr  Mahok  had  for 
him  the  greatest  respect.  He,  as  an  insignificant  parish 
priest,  could  do  nothing  for  his  fatherland.  It  was  true 
that,  many  years  ago,  he  had  fought  more  than  twenty 
battles  with  the  Honve'd  Battalion ;  he  had  preached  to 
his  men  how  they  should  love  their  country,  and  for 
this  he  had  been  sentenced  to  death,  which  sentence 
had  been  commuted  to  ten  years'  imprisonment ;  he  had 
passed  five  of  those  years  in  chains,  and  his  feet  still 
bore  the  marks  of  the  wounds  made  by  the  heavy  irons. 
But  what  were  these  trifles,  of  which  Herr  Mahok  thought 
little,  in  comparison  to  the  bold  deeds  of  the  Abbe 
Samuel,  who  dared  to  write  independent  articles  in  the 
papers,  and  to  sign  them  with  the  initial  of  his  name. 
To  have  fought  with  Haynau  against  the  Russians  under 
fire  of  heavy  cannon,  to  have  been  in  the  galleys,  that 
was  a  mere  joke.  To  have  the  fearful  police  upon  your 
track,  that  was  serious.  Herr  Mahok  thought  most 
highly  of  the  abbe's  capabilities,  measuring  them  by  the 
loss  of  his  own  physical  and  mental  energy — for  after 
fifteen  years,  five  of  which  had  been  spent  in  heavy  iron 
chains,  a  man  is  not  what  he  was. 

After  some  days  the  invited  guest  arrived  at  the  par- 
sonage of  Herr  Mahok.  The  pastor  related  to  him, 
circumstantially,  all  that  had  reference  to  the  count- 
ess, with  the  exception,  of  course,  of  such  matters  as 
were  under  the  sacred  seal  of  confession.  He  told  him 
about  the  ghosts,  and  his  own  experience  under  that 
head. 


THE   EXORCIST  97 

Herr  Samuel  received  the  narration  with  fits  of 
laughter. 

"You  may  laugh  here  as  much  as  you  Hke,  but  I  beg 
of  you  not  to  do  so  before  the  countess;  she  holds  to 
her  ghosts,"  remarked  the  pastor,  with  an  air  of  one  who 
knew  what  he  was  saying. 

The  abbe  then  asked  for  information  concerning  the 
disposition  of  the  rooms  in  the  castle,  how  they  were 
situated  in  regard  to  one  another.  He  made  the  pastor 
describe  minutely  every  particular  of  what  he  had  him- 
self been  witnsss  to,  also  how  he  and  his  sacristan  had 
made  good  their  escape  through  the  lattice  door. 

The  equipage  of  the  countess  came  at  the  usual  hour 
to  fetch  both  the  guests  to  the  castle,  which  lay  at  some 
little  distance  from  the  village. 

It  was  only  natural,  all  things  taken  into  account, 
that  the  countess  on  her  first  introduction  to  the  abbe 
should  lose  all  control  of  her  nerves,  and  that  she 
should  give  way  to  several  hysterical  symptoms,  which 
could  only  be  calmed  by  the  abbe  laying  his  hand  in 
paternal  benediction  upon  her  forehead.  Fraulein  Emer- 
enzia's  nerves,  in  accordance  with  the  sympathy  which 
existed  between  her  and  her  mistress,  became  at  once 
similarly  affected,  and  required  a  similar  imposition  of 
hands ;  but  neither  of  the  priests  troubled  themselves 
about  her,  and  when  the  countess  recovered  from  her 
attack,  the  companion  did  likewise. 

During  dinner,  which  was  served  with  great  elegance, 
the  abbe  discoursed  upon  every  possible  subject,  and 
made  inquiries  as  to  the  prospects  of  the  countr}^  the 
occupations  of  the  people,  the  age  of  the  servants,  and 
so  forth.  He  addressed  a  great  deal  of  his  conversa- 
tion to  Fraulein  Emerenzia,  attended  to  her  w^ants  ;  when 
he  offered  her  wine  she  covered  her  glass  with  her  hand, 


98  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

and  declared  she  never  tasted  anything  but  water,  which 
seemed  infinitely  to  surprise  him ;  also,  when  he  wished 
to  know  whether  the  ring  on  her  finger  was  one  of 
betrothal,  Emerenzia  tried  to  blush,  and  gave  him  to 
understand  that,  from  her  own  choice,  she  meant  to  live 
and  die  a  maid. 

After  dinner  was  over,  Herr  Mahok  remained  in  the 
dining-room  to  entertain  the  Fraulein — that  is  to  say, 
he  seated  himself  in  an  armchair,  folded  his  hands  upon 
his  rotund  stomach,  closed  his  eyes,  and  during  a  sweet 
doze  heard  the  clatter  of  Emerenzia's  sharp  voice. 

The  abbe  went  with  the  countess  into  her  private 
sitting-room.  She  sat  upon  the  sofa,  her  eyes  on  the 
ground,  waiting  with  much  inward  trepidation  to  hear 
what  sentence  so  exalted  a  personage  would  pronounce 
upon  the  demoniacal  possession.  As  he  did  not  speak, 
she  in  a  timid  voice  began — 

"  Has  my  confessor  told  you  the  terrible  secret  of 
the  castle  ?" 

"  He  has  told  me  all  that  he  knows." 

"And  what  view  would  the  authorities  of  the  Church 
take,  do  you  think?" 

"  My  individual  opinion,  countess,  is  that  the  whole 
thing  is  a  conspiracy  of  the  living." 

"  Of  the  living  !"  repeated  the  countess.  "  And  my 
visions  ?" 

"  Those  can  be  explained  by  psychological  means. 
You  are  of  a  susceptible,  nervous  temperament ;  your 
senses  are  made  acquainted  with  the  first  portion  of 
the  history,  your  imagination  works  out  the  remainder. 
Your  dreams,  countess,  are  hallucinations,  nothing  else. 
Visible  ghosts  do  not  exist ;  those  who  are  dead  cannot 
live  and  move,  for  the  reason  that  their  organic  powers 
are  at  an  end." 


THE    EXORCIST  99 

The  countess  shook  her  head  incredulously.  To  say 
the  truth,  she  was  ill-pleased.  She  had  expected  from 
so  high  and  intellectual  an  ecclesiastic  a  very  different 
explanation.  If  he  could  only  tell  us  this,  it  was,  indeed, 
lost  trouble  to  send  so  far  for  him. 

Herr  Samuel  was  quick  enough  to  read  in  her  face 
what  was  passing  in  her  mind,  and  hastened  to  apply 
a  radical  cure. 

"Countess,  I  know  you  doubt  what  I  say,  because  you 
have  firm  faith  in  what  your  eyes  have  seen,  your  ears 
have  heard.  You  are  quite  convinced  that  you  yourself 
have  been  many  times  in  the  haunted  vault,  and  have 
there  seen  the  spirits  of  your  departed  ancestors." 

"  Only  last  night,"  whispered  the  countess,  in  an  awed 
voice,  "  the  tumult  was  fearful.  They  told  me  they  would 
come  again  to-night,  that  they  would  expect  me." 

"  And  have  you  promised  to  go  to  them .''" 

"When  day  comes  I  shudder  from  the  idea,  but  at 
night  some  strange,  mysterious  power  draws  me  to  the 
vault;  I  know  all  fear  will  vanish,  and  I  shall  not  be 
able  to  stay  away." 

"  Very  good.  Then  to-night  I  shall  go  with  you  to 
the  vault  of  your  ancestors." 

At  these  words  a  sudden  flush  covered  the  pale  face 
of  the  countess.  The  living  portrait!  She  should  go 
with  him — where  ?  Perhaps  into  hell.  She  trembled 
at  the  thought;  then  with  a  violent  effort  recovered  her 
composure,  and  said,  in  a  hesitating  manner — 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  possible. 
I  should  have  to  let  my  household  into  the  secret." 

The  abbe  understood  the  nature  of  the  question,  and 
all  the  consequences  it  involved. 

"That  would  not  be  necessary.  On  the  contrary, 
your  household  must  know  nothing  of  my  visit." 


lOO  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  countess  looked  at  him.  She  was  puzzled,  agi- 
tated. What  could  he  mean  ?  He  could  not  imagine  for  a 
moment  that  he  was  to  spend  the  night  with  her — alone? 

The  abbe  read  her  thought  and  answered  quietly — 

"  I  shall  go  away  now  with  Pastor  Mahok.  I  shall 
return  about  midnight  and  will  knock  at  your  door  to 
announce  my  arrival." 

Theudelinde  shook  her  head.  "  That  is  impossible. 
In  winter  every  door  in  my  house  is  locked  by  seven 
o'clock.  To  reach  my  suite  of  rooms,  you  should  pass 
through  no  less  than  seven  doors.  First  the  castle  door. 
This  is  watched  by  my  portress,  an  old  woman  who 
never  sleeps ;  besides,  two  monstrous  bloodhounds  keep 
guard  there.  They  are  chained  to  the  door  with  long 
chains;  they  would  eat  you  if  you  tried  to  pass.  Then 
comes  the  door  of  the  corridor,  to  which  there  are  two 
locks;  my  companion  keeps  the  key  of  one,  my  house- 
keeper the  key  of  the  other,  and  to  open  it  you  must 
awake  both.  The  third  is  the  door  to  the  staircase;  the 
cook  has  the  key  under  her  pillow,  and  she  sleeps  so 
soundly,  and  the  whole  house  is  astir  before  she  moves. 
The  fourth  is  the  entrance  to  the  secret  lattice  passage; 
this  is  in  the  keeping  of  the  housemaid,  a  nervous  girl, 
who,  when  it  grows  dark,  would  not  go  into  the  next 
room.  The  fifth  door  leads  to  the  chamber  of  my  own 
maid,  a  very  modest  young  person,  who  would  not  open 
the  door  to  a  man  were  he  prophet  or  saint.  The  sixth 
door  is  that  of  Fraulein  Emerenzia,  my  companion ;  she 
falls  into  violent  hysterics  if  at  night  any  one  turns  the 
handle  of  her  door.  The  seventh  and  last  door  is  that 
of  my  dressing-room,  which  is  fitted  with  a  peculiar  self- 
acting  lock,  a  new  invention.  I  ask  your  reverence  if, 
under  such  conditions,  you  could  make  your  way  here  at 
midnight  ?" 


THE    EXORCIST  lOI 

"  Permit  me,  in  my  turn,  to  put  a  question  to  you. 
You  have  given  me  to  understand  tliat  you  descend  con- 
stantly to  the  vault  of  your  ancestors.  How  does  it 
happen  that  you  pass  through  all  these  well-guarded 
doors.?" 

Over  the  countenance  of  the  countess  a  triumphant 
smile  passed.  The  superstitious  woman  could  repel  the 
attack  of  the  scientist. 

"  Oh,  I  do  not  pass  through  any  of  them  !  From  my 
bedroom  a  secret  staircase  leads  to  the  chapel  vault.  I 
go  down  this  staircase." 

It  would  have  been  only  natural  that  the  abbe  on 
hearing  this  should  have  proposed  to  conceal  himself  in 
the  librar}',  and  there  await  the  countess.  But  he  read 
the  character  of  his  hostess  and  knew  that  such  a  pro- 
posal would  have  shocked  her  prudish  mind  and  have 
offended  her  so  deeply  that,  in  all  probability,  she  would 
have  refused  to  listen  any  further.  She  required  the 
most  delicate  management ;  this  the  quick-seeing  abbe 
recognized  perfectly. 

"I  am  still  of  the  same  mind,"  he  said,  calmly.  "I 
shall  knock  at  your  door  this  night  at  twelve  o'clock." 

At  these  words  the  countess  was  seized  with  a  ner- 
vous shudder,  but  the  abbe  went  on  without  taking  any 
notice — 

"If  you  believe  that  there  are  unearthly  beings  who 
are  possessed  of  mysterious  powers  by  which  they  pass 
through  locked  doors  and  make  themselves  visible  to 
some  human  beings,  invisible  to  others,  then  why  should 
I  not  have  this  power  also  ?  But  you  imagine  that  be- 
cause I  am  only  a  man  born  of  dust  I  cannot  infringe 
the  laws  of  nature.  Let  me  remind  you  that  there  is  a 
natural  explanation  for  all  that  may  seem  to  you  incom- 
prehensible.    Witchcraft  is  now  no  longer  a  mystery. 


I02  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

We  do  not  now  burn  Boscos  and  Galuches  upon  funeral 
piles.  Do  not  for  a  moment  think  that  I  am  a  Bosco  or 
a  Paracelsus.  I  repeat  that  what  I  promise  I  will  per- 
form ;  at  the  same  hour  at  which  the  ghosts  begin  their 
orgies  will  I  knock  at  your  door  with  the  words,  In 
nomine  Domini  aperientu?-  portce  Jideliiivi — '  In  the  name 
of  the  Lord  may  the  doors  of  the  faithful  be  opened.' 
Remember,  no  one  but  us  two  is  to  know  anything  of 
my  coming  to-night.  Till  then  may  the  blessing  of  God 
be  with  you." 

Theudelinde  was  much  impressed  by  her  strange  vis- 
itor. His  confidence  infused  courage  into  her  weak 
mind,  while  his  masterful  ways  influenced  her  like  a 
spell.  He  addressed  her  from  such  a  superior  height 
that  she  felt  it  would  be  almost  desecration  not  to  place 
the  utmost  faith  in  his  promises,  and,  nevertheless,  he 
had  promised  to  perform  an  impossible  thing.  How 
could  she  reconcile  the  two,  unless,  indeed,  she  had  to 
do  with  a  being  of  another  world  ?  She  saw  from  the 
window  the  carriage  drive  away  with  the  two  clergymen. 
She  watched  them  get  in  ;  she  remained  at  her  post 
until  the  carriage  returned  empty. 

The  female  Jehu  showed  to  the  other  servants  the 
pourboire  she  had  received  ;  it  was  a  new  silver  piece. 
It  passed  from  hand  to  hand.  What  a  miracle  !  Of 
the  fifteen  million  inhabitants  of  Hungar}^  fourteen  mill- 
ion five  hundred  thousand  had  never  seen  such  a  thing 
as  a  silver  piece  of  money.  There  was  a  clergyman  for 
you,  of  a  very  different  pattern  from  that  other,  who 
gave,  every  Sunday,  a  fourpenny  piece  wrapped  care- 
fully in  a  piece  of  paper,  to  be  divided  among  the  wait- 
resses ! 

The  time  passed  slowly  to  the  countess ;  the  clock 
seemed   to   go   with    leaden    weights.      She   wandered 


THE    EXORCIST  I03 

through  all  the  rooms,  her  mind  revolving  in  what  pos- 
sible manner,  by  what  possible  entrance  a  man  could 
find  his  way  into  the  castle.  When  it  had  struck  seven 
o'clock  she  saw  herself  that  every  door  which  communi- 
cated with  her  wing  was  carefully  locked ;  then  she  sat 
herself  down  in  her  own  room.  She  took  out  the  plan 
of  the  castle,  which  had  been  prepared  by  the  Floren- 
tine artist  who  had  built  it.  It  was  not  the  first  time 
she  had  studied  it ;  when  she  had  received  the  castle 
as  a  present  from  her  father,  she  had  made  herself  mis- 
tress of  every  particular  concerning  it.  The  building 
was  three  times  larger  than  her  income  could  afford  to 
maintain.  She  had,  therefore,  to  choose  which  wing 
she  would  occupy.  In  the  centre  there  were  fine  re- 
ception-rooms, a  banqueting- hall,  an  armory,  and  a 
museum  for  pictures  and  curiosities.  This  portion  was 
out  of  the  question.  Also,  from  this  portion  of  the 
castle  a  concealed  staircase  led  to  a  subterranean  pas- 
sage. This  could  be  used  as  a  means  of  escape,  and 
had  no  doubt  served  such  a  purpose  when  the  old  castle 
had  been  besieged  by  the  Turks.  The  grandfather  of 
the  countess  had  walled  up  these  steps,  and  no  one 
could  now  get  into  the-  secret  passage.  The  left  wing, 
which  was  similarly  constructed  to  the  one  which  the 
countess  inhabited,  had  served  as  a  sort  of  pleasure 
residence  to  her  pleasure-loving  ancestors.  There  were 
all  manner  of  secret  holes  and  corners  in  it,  communi- 
cations of  all  kinds  connecting  the  rooms,  doors  behind 
pictures,  concealed  alcoves,  and  the  like.  The  archi- 
tect's plan  showed  these  without  any  reticence.  Theude- 
linde  naturally  turned  away  in  horror  from  the  idea  of 
inhabiting  this  tainted  wing,  so  full  of  sinful  associa- 
tions ;  she  set  up  her  Lares  and  Penates  in  the  less 
handsome,  but  more  homely,  right  wing,  where  were  a 


I04  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

few  good  rooms  fitted  for  domestic  life,  an  excellent 
librar}^,  and  the  family  vault  below.  It  contained  no 
other  secret  staircase  than  the  one  which  led  to  the 
tombs  of  the  departed  members  of  the  famil3^  For  the 
rest,  Countess  Theudelinde  had  taken  care  to  wall  up 
all  the  passages  which  led  to  either  the  centre  or  left 
wing  of  the  castle,  and  there  was  no  means  of  commu- 
nication between  them  and  her  apartments.  All  the 
chimneys  had  iron  gates  to  shut  off  any  possible  en- 
trance that  way;  every  window  was  provided  with  strong 
iron  bars.  It  would  have  been  impossible  for  even  a 
cat  to  effect  an  entrance  into  this  enchanted  castle. 

The  countess,  meditating  on  all  these  precautions, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  only  one  way 
by  which  the  Abbe'  Samuel  could  introduce  himself  into 
the  house,  and  that  was  by  a  secret  understanding  with 
some  one  of  her  household.  But  again,  setting  alto- 
gether aside  the  high  character  borne  by  the  priest, 
which  would  render  such  an  act  upon  his  part  improb- 
able, the  very  nature  of  the  circumstances  attending  his 
visit  made  it  impossible.  He  had  never  been  absent 
from  the  countess  for  a  minute,  except  during  his  short 
walk  to  the  carriage,  and  then  Herr  Mahok  had  been 
his  companion.  Theudelinde,  therefore,  dismissed  the 
idea  from  her  mind.  She  sent  her  household  early  to 
bed ;  she  complained  to  Fraulein  Emerenzia  of  suffering 
from  pains  on  one  side  of  her  head.  Immediately  that 
sympathetic  companion  complained  of  pains  on  the  oth- 
er side  of  her  head.  When  the  countess  thought  she 
would  try  to  sleep,  Emerenzia  felt  the  like  desire;  she 
wrapped  her  whole  head  up  in  warm  cotton  wool,  and 
snored  without  mercy. 

Theudelinde  shut  herself  up  in  her  bedroom  and 
counted  the  minutes.     She  tried  to  play  Patience,  but 


THE    EXORCIST  I05 

the  cards  would  not  come  right;  her  mind  was  too 
much  disturbed.  She  took  out  her  Bible,  splendidly 
illustrated  by  Dore.  She  looked  at  all  the  pictures ; 
she  counted  the  figures  of  the  different  men  and  women 
upon  those  two  hundred  and  thirty  large  plates ;  then 
the  horses  and  the  camels,  till  she  came  to  the  scenes 
of  murders.  Then  she  tried  to  pass  the  time  by  read- 
ing the  text.  She  counted  which  letter  of  the  alphabet 
was  repeated  the  most  frequently  upon  one  side  of  the 
page.  For  the  greater  part  the  letter  a  was  the  favorite. 
e  came  next,  then  <?,  also  // ;  /  was  the  worst  represented. 
This  was  in  the  French  print.  In  the  Hungarian  text  e 
had  the  majority,  then  a,  o,  and  /,  and,  last  of  all,  ^  and 
7/.  But  of  this  she  also  wearied.  Then  she  sat  down 
to  the  piano,  and  tried  to  calm  her  agitation  by  playing 
dreamy  fantasias  ;  neither  did  this  succeed.  Her  hands 
trembled,  and  she  could  not  sustain  herself  at  the  in- 
strument, she  was  so  wearied ;  and  as  the  fatal  hour  of 
midnight  drew  nearer  she  gave  up  making  efforts  to  dis- 
tract her  mind,  and  abandoned  herself  to  thoughts  of 
the  impending  ghostly  tumult.  She  found  herself  alto- 
gether under  the  influence  of  her  ancestral  spectres,  for 
she  was  always  consumed  with  en/iui  until  the  noise 
began.  Then  a  sort  of  fever  would  come  to  her ;  she 
would  undress  herself,  crawl  into  bed,  draw  the  cover- 
ings over  her  head  until  she  broke  into  a  perspiration, 
and  then  fall  into  a  deep  sleep.  The  next  morning, 
when  she  awoke,  she  really  believed  that  she  had  wit- 
nessed the  scenes  of  which  she  had  only  dreamed. 

This  night  she  drew  forth  her  talisman,  the  photo- 
graph of  the  abbe,  and  tried  to  find  some  strength  by 
considering  it.  She  placed  it  before  her  on  the  reading- 
desk  and  sat  gazing  at  it.  Was  he  really  a  superior 
being,  at  whose  command  the  doors  of  the  castle  would 


Io6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

fly  open,  spectres  would  vanish,  and  the  gates  of  hell 
would  close  upon  them  ?  It  could  not  be  that  such 
things  would  happen.  The  more  the  night  advanced 
the  greater  grew  her  nervous  fears.  Her  heart  beat 
loudly.  It  was  not  so  much  the  nightly  ghosts  that  she 
dreaded,  but  this  new  and  equally  unearthly  visitor. 
What  was  he?  A  wizard,  an  enchanter  like  Merlin  of 
old,  or  a  saint  come  to  exorcise  and  banish  her  tor- 
mentors ? 

The  weary  lagging  hours  went  by,  until  at  last  the 
pendulum  of  the  old  clock  began  to  vibrate,  and  its 
iron  tongue  gave  out  midnight.  The  countess  counted 
every  stroke.  Its  vibration  had  hardly  ceased  when, 
punctual  to  its  usual  time,  the  infernal  noise  began  ; 
from  the  vault  below  the  tones  of  the  mass  reached 
Theudelinde's  ears.  She  was,  however,  listening  for  an- 
other sound,  listening  with  feverish  anxiety  to  catch  a 
stealthy  footfall  in  the  adjoining  room,  to  hear  the  rattle 
of  a  key  surreptitiously  moving  in  the  lock.  Nothing  ! 
She  came  to  the  door,  and,  putting  her  head  to  the  key- 
hole, strained  her  ears  in  vain.  All  was  still.  It  was 
now  a  quarter  past  midnight ;  the  tumult  in  the  vault 
below  was  in  full  swing — the  witches'  Sabbath,  as  it 
might  be  called,  with  its  yells,  shouts,  songs,  prayers; 
it  was  as  if  all  the  devils  of  hell  had  given  one  another 
rendezvous  in  the  company  of  the  countess's  ancestors. 

"  He  will  not  come,"  she  thought,  and  trembled  in 
every  limb  of  her  fever-stricken  body.  It  was  folly  to 
expect  it.  How  could  a  man  accomplish  what  is  only 
permitted  to  spirits  ? 

She  retired  to  the  alcove  and  prepared  to  lie  down. 
At  this  moment  she  heard  a  tap  at  the  door  of  her  sit- 
ting-room, and,  after  a  moment,  a  low  voice  spoke  in 
firm  tones — 


THE    EXORCIST  107 

"In  nomine  Domini  aperientur  porte  fidelium." 

It  was  the  signal  given  by  the  abbe.  Theudelinde 
gave  a  shriek;  she  nearly  lost  her  senses  from  fright, 
but  gathered  herself  together  with  a  supreme  effort.  It 
was  real ;  no  hallucination,  no  dream  !  He  was  at  the 
door,  her  deliverer.     Forward  ! 

The  countess  ran  to  the  door  and  opened  it.  The 
crisis  gave  her  unusual  strength.  This  might  be  a  trap, 
and  instead  of  a  deliverer  she  might  find  herself  opposite 
to  a  robber  or  murderer.  Under  the  carpet  lay  con- 
cealed the  trap-door ;  the  midnight  visitor  stood  on  the 
very  spot.  One  pressure  of  the  secret  spring  and  down 
he  went  into  the  abyss  below.  Theudelinde  had  her 
foot  on  the  spring  as  she  undid  the  door. 

There  stood  the  abbe  before  her.  No  appearance  of 
his  clerical  calling  was  to  be  seen.  He  wore  a  long 
coat,  which  reached  to  his  feet,  and  carried  neither  bell, 
book,  nor  candle,  wherewith  to  exorcise  the  spirits.  In 
his  right  hand  he  held  a  thick  stick  made  of  rhinoceros' 
skin,  and  in  the  left  a  dark  lantern. 

"  Remain  where  you  are,"  said  the  countess,  in  a  com- 
manding voice.  "  Before  you  set  foot  in  this  room  you 
shall  tell  me  how  you  got  here.  Was  it  with  the  help  of 
God,  of  man,  or  of  the  devil  .'*" 

"  Countess,"  returned  the  abbe,  "  look  about  you.  Do 
you  not  see  that  every  door  in  your  castle  stands  open  ? 
Through  these  open  doors  I  have  passed  easily.  How 
I  passed  through  the  court  is  another  thing.  I  will  tell 
you  that  later." 

"And  my  household,  who  sleep  in  those  rooms  ?"  said 
the  countess,  in  an  incredulous  voice. 

"The  curtains  hang  round  every  bed;  I  have  not 
raised  them.  If  your  household  be  asleep,  they  will  no 
doubt  sleep  as  the  just  do,  without  waking." 


I08  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  countess  listened,  only  half  believing  what  she 
heard  ;  she  was  growing  nerveless  again.  She  led  the 
abbe  into  the  sitting-room,  and  sank  exhausted  upon  the 
sofa. 

The  tumult  in  the  vault  was  indescribable. 

"  Do  you  hear  itP  she  said,  in  a  whisper. 

"  I  do  hear,  and  I  know  whence  it  comes.  I  am  here 
to  face  those  who  cause  this  unseemly  riot." 

"  Have  you  the  weapons  that  Holy  Church  has  pro- 
vided for  such  a  task  .?"  asked  Theudelinde,  anxiously. 

The  priest  for  all  answer  held  towards  her  the  strong 
staff  he  carried. 

"  I  have  this  good  stick,  countess." 

"  Do  you  hear  above  all  the  tumult  that  strident  voice  t 
It  is  my  uncle  Ladislaus,"  cried  the  countess,  grasping 
the  abbe's  arm  with  both  her  hands.  "  Do  you  hear  that 
horrible  laugh?     It  is  my  uncle's  laugh." 

"  We  will  soon  learn  the  author  of  that  unpleasant 
cachinnation,"  remarked  the  priest,  quietly. 

"  Why,  what  do  you  propose  to  do  .''" 

"  I  shall  go  down  and  join  the  worshipful  society  be- 
low." 

"  You  wall  descend  into  the  vault  ?     What  to  do  ?" 

"  To  pass  judgment  upon  that  unruly  gang,  countess. 
You  promised  to  accompany  me." 

"  I  promised  !"  and  Theudelinde  retreated  from  him, 
her  eyes  staring  wildly,  her  hands  pressed  to  her  breast. 

"  It  was  your  own  wish." 

"  True,  true  !  I  am  so  confused  ;  my  thoughts  are  all 
astray.  I  cannot  recollect  them.  You  here,  and  that 
fearful  noise  below  !     I  am  terribly  afraid." 

"  How  ?  You  who  had  the  courage  to  go  among  the 
ghosts  by  yourself,  are  you  afraid  now  that  /  am  with 
you  ?     Give  me  your  hand/' 


THE    EXORCIST  1 09 

The  countess  placed  her  trembling  fingers  in  the 
abbe's  hand,  and  as  she  felt  the  firm,  manly  clasp,  an 
unusual  sense  of  strength  and  protection  possessed  her ; 
she  ceased  to  shake  and  shiver,  her  eyes  no  longer  saw 
shapes  and  fantasies  moving  before  them  ;  her  heart  be- 
gan to  beat  steadily.  The  bare  touch  of  this  man's 
hand  gave  her  new  life. 

"  Come  with  me,"  he  said,  in  a  decided  voice,  while  he 
stuck  his  whip  under  his  left  arm,  and  with  the  right 
drew  the  countess  after  him.  "  Where  are  the  keys  of 
the  secret  staircase,  and  of  the  room  through  which  we 
must  pass  ?'' 

Theudelinde  felt  that  she  could  not  let  go  his  hand 
for  one  minute.  She  was  for  the  moment,  so  to  speak, 
mesmerized  by  his  superior  mind.  She  crawled  after 
him  submissively;  she  should  follow  him,  were  it  to  the 
very  gates  of  hell  itself.  Without  a  word  she  pointed  to 
the  key  cabinet,  an  antique  piece  of  furniture  which 
would  have  made  the  joy  of  a  bric-a-brac  collector,  and 
in  which  there  was  a  drawer  full  of  keys. 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation  the  priest  put  his  hand 
on  the  ones  that  were  wanted.  It  was  no  miracle  that 
he  should  do  so,  although  to  the  weakened  mind  of  his 
companion  it  appeared  to  be  miraculous ;  on  one  of  the 
keys  there  was  the  well-known  sign  of  a  vault  key,  the 
crucifix. 

The  abbe  now  drew  aside  the  curtain  which  concealed 
the  secret  passage  to  the  library,  and  here,  at  the  first 
step,  he  was  met  by  a  certain  proof,  if  such  were  want- 
ing, to  show  him  the  credit  to  be  given  to  the  countess's 
statements  that  she  was  in  the  habit  of  descending  to 
the  vault :  as  he  opened  the  door  a  mass  of  cobwebs 
blew  into  his  face.  The  countess,  however,  was  firm  in 
her  hallucination.     It  is  a  phase  of  such  nervous  dis- 


no  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

orders  as  hers  to  believe  that  what  they  have  dreamed 
is  actual  fact ;  they  can  even  supply  small  details. 

As  the  countess  went  up  the  steps  she  whispered  to 
her  companion — 

"A  window  is  broken  here^  and  the  wind  whistles 
through  it."  And  as  they  turned  the  angle  of  the  steps 
there  was  a  narrow  slip-window  which  in  the  daytime 
gave  light  to  the  staircase,  the  panes  of  which  were  actu- 
ally broken.  She  had  never  seen  this.  When  they  came 
to  the  door  of  the  library  she  confided  to  the  abbe  that 
she  was  always  frightened  to  pass  the  threshold. 

"  It  is  such  a  ghostly  place  !"  she  said.  "  When  the 
moon  shines  through  the  shutter  of  the  upper  window 
it  throws  white  specks  upon  the  mosaic  pattern  of  the 
marble  floor,  which  makes  it  look  like  some  mysterious 
writing.  In  one  of  the  corners  between  two  presses 
there  is  a  glass  case  with  a  skeleton  in  it ;  in  another 
case  the  wax  impression,  taken  after  death,  of  Ignatius 
Loyola." 

Everything  was  precisely  as  the  countess  related. 
The  moon  shone  through  the  upper  panes  of  glass,  the 
skeleton  stood  in  his  glass  case,  the  waxen  head  of  the 
dead  saint  lay  in  the  other,  but  the  countess  had  never 
crossed  the  threshold.  In  her  childhood  her  nurse  had 
told  her  these  tales  of  the  Bondavara  Castle,  and  when 
she  had  become  its  mistress  her  first  care  had  been  to 
lock  these  rooms.  Ten  years'  dust  lay  on  the  carpets, 
on  the  chairs  and  tables ;  cobwebs  hung  from  the  ceil- 
ings, mice  played  games  in  the  deep  wainscots,  for  no 
one  ever  came  here. 

At  the  moment  in  which  the  countess  and  her  com- 
panion entered  the  library  a  certain  peace  reigned  in  the 
vault  below.  The  tumult  seemed  lulled ;  there  were 
neither  shrieks  nor  demoniacal  songs  to  be  heard.    From 


THE    EXORCIST  III 

the  mortuary  chapel,  however,  the  notes  of  the  organ 
reached  the  ears  of  the  two  listeners.  It  sounded  like 
the  prelude  which  is  played  in  church  before  mass  be- 
gins, only  the  chords  of  the  prelude  were  all  discords; 
it  was  as  if  the  organ  were  played  by  a  condemned  spirit. 

The  countess  stood  before  the  chapel  door,  her  breast 
heaving  with  emotion.  She  caught  hold  of  the  abbe"s 
hand  with  a  strong  grasp,  and  kept  him  from  turning 
the  key  in  the  lock.     She  trembled  in  every  limb. 

"  What  are  those  fearful  tones  .''" 

Then  came  a  confused  sound,  as  of  many  voices  in- 
toning the  vespers.  One  voice,  which  imitated  the  mo- 
notonous delivery  of  the  celebrant,  began  to  sing  in 
Latin  the  words  of  a  hymn — 

"Bacchus,  prepare  the  libation," 

Another  voice  answ^ered  in  the  same  tone — • 

"And  hasten,  brethren,  to  drink  '" 

Then  a  third  took  up  the  text  in  a  parody  of  the 
Gloria — 

"  Gloria  Baccho,  et  filiae  ejus  Cerevisiai  et  Spiritui 
vini,  sicut  erat  in  Baccho  natus,  et  nunc,  et  semper,  et 
per  omnia  pocula  poculorum.     Stramen." 

The  countess  felt  her  whole  body  turning  into  ice; 
fear  mingled  with  horror.  She  understood  the  impious 
parody. 

Now  the  organ  accompanied  the  antiphon. 

"  Date  nobis  de  cerevisia  vestra ;  quia  sitiunt  guttura 
nostra" — "Give  us  of  your  beer;  our  throats  are  dry." 

Then  followed  the  psalm — 

"  Brother  to  brother  spoke  these  words :  shall  two 
goblets  of  beer  quench  man's  thirst.^" 


112  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"Two,  three,  five,  six  are  not  enough  for  man's  satiety." 

"Blessed  be  Bacchus,  who  gave  us  beer." 

Then  followed  the  Capitulum. 

"  Brethren,  attend,  and  do  as  I  command  ye.  Before 
ye  leave  the  ale-house  for  your  own  homes  empty  all  the 
pots,  leave  not  a  drop  therein,  but  tilt  them  and  drain 
every  drop  of  wine.  This  do  from  goblet  to  goblet. 
Stramen." 

The  countess  felt,  as  she  listened  to  this  profanity, 
what  a  damned  soul  must  experience  when  for  the  first 
time  it  consorts  with  devils.  But  now  a  hellish  chorus 
broke  forth  of  men's  and  women's  voices,  yelling  out  a 
parody  of  a  hymn — 

"Bacchus,  ■who  gave  us  drink, 
Art  thou  not  called  the  god  of  liquor? 
Grant  us  all  the  holy  grace. 
Strength  to  drink  in  every  place, 
So  that,   drinking  everywhere. 
We  for  glory  may  prepare 
In  thy  everlasting  wine-cellar." 

This  was  followed  by  the  ringing  of  the  bell,  and  the 
priest's  voice  intoned  the  blessing. 

"  Bacchus  be  with  you." 

The  chorus  answered,  "And  with  thy  pint-pots." 

Then  came  the  Oratio — 

"  Let  us  eat.  O  all-powerful  Bacchus,  since  thou  hast 
created  this  society  of  ours  for  thine  own  honor,  grant  to 
us  its  continuance,  and  give  to  us  a  constant  supply  of 
brave  topers,  who  never  may  cease  drinking  from  goblet 
to  goblet." 

And  the  chorus  answered,  "  Stramen." 

The  countess  was  not  able  any  longer  to  hold  herself 
up.     She   sank  upon  her  knees,  and  looked   up  at  the 


THE    EXORCIST  II3 

priest  in  mute  horror.  Hardly  knowing  what  she  did, 
she  gazed  in  utter  despair  at  the  tall  figure  lit  up  as  it 
was  by  the  rays  of  the  moon,  which  played  round  his 
head  like  a  halo. 

The  abbe'  put  the  key  into  the  lock  of  the  chapel  door. 
The  countess  caught  his  hand  ;  her  fright  amounted  to 
agony. 

"  Do  not — do  not  open  it !"  she  cried.  "  Inside  is  hell 
let  loose." 

With  an  elevation  of  his  head,  the  abbe  answered 
proudly — 

"  Nee  portal  inferi  — the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  "  ; 
and  then  he  turned  the  key,  and  the  heavy  iron  door  swung 
open,  and  disclosed  the  actors  in  the  strange  drama. 

On  the  altar  all  the  candles  were  lighted,  and  their 
light  showed  with  distinctness  every  incident  of  the  per- 
formance, every  feature  in  the  faces  of  the  performers. 

What  a  scene ! 

On  one  side  of  the  vault  ran  a  long  table,  round  which 
was  seated,  eating  and  drinking,  not  the  countess's  an- 
cestors and  ancestresses,  but  all  the  servants  of  her 
household.  The  maids,  who  were  so  strictly  guarded, 
were  here  in  the  company  of  the  men  who  were  so  rigor- 
ously excluded.  The  countess  could,  therefore,  see  that 
these  were  flesh-and-blood  ghosts  which  had  so  long 
haunted  her  ancient  castle.  Each  of  her  handmaidens 
had  a  lover  in  either  the  steward,  bailiff,  gamekeeper,  or 
clerk  in  the  neighborhood.  The  nervous  housemaid,  who 
at  night  was  afraid  of  her  own  shadow,  was  now  drinking 
out  of  the  glass  of  the  innkeeper;  the  virtuous  maid  was 
embraced  by  the  mayor's  footman ;  the  portress,  an  el- 
derly virgin,  held  a  jug  in  her  hand,  while  she  executed 
a  clog-dance  upon  the  table.  All  the  rest  clapped  hands, 
shrieked,  sang  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  and  beat  the 


1 14  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

table  as  if  it  were  a  big  drum.  The  shepherd,  who  rep- 
resented the  countess's  grandfather,  sat  upon  the  monu- 
ment of  the  chancellor,  his  legs  round  the  cross,  and 
played  the  bagpipes.  It  was  this  instrument  which  at 
the  burlesque  of  vespers  imitated  the  harmonium.  Upon 
the  gravestone  of  the  first  archbishop  the  beer-barrel  was 
set  up.  The  maids  were  all  dressed  in  the  countess's  silk 
dresses,  with  the  exception  of  the  female  coachman,  who, 
as  usual,  wore  man's  clothes,  but  by  way  of  symmetry 
her  lover,  the  coachman  of  the  neighboring  brewery,  was 
dressed  in  woman's  clothes.  The  countess  recognized 
on  the  head  of  this  bearded  fellow  her  nightcap,  and 
round  his  body  her  cloak,  trimmed  with  her  best  lace. 
Worst  of  all,  at  the  top  of  the  table  sat  Fraulein  Emer- 
enzia,  on  very  intimate  terms  with  her  neighbor,  a  young 
lawyer.  She  wore  the  skirt  of  a  favorite  dress  of  Theu- 
delinde's,  a  flame-colored  brocade ;  the  body  could  not  fit 
her  corpulent  form,  so  she  had  her  mistress's  best  lace 
shawl  wrapped  round  her.  Her  face  was  red ;  she  had  a 
large  tumbler  of  wine  before  her,  and  she  smoked  a  pipe. 
The  modest  Emerenzia  ! 

The  men  were  all  drunk  and  noisy,  the  women  screamed 
in  an  unearthly  manner ;  the  bagpipes  squealed ;  the 
table  resounded  with  thumps  and  the  clatter  of  the  por- 
tress's clogs.  From  the  altar  came  the  voice  of  the 
mock  priest,  his  arms  outstretched  in  blessing.  Through 
the  din  the  words  "  Bacchus  vobiscum"  were  heard,  and 
the  tinkle  of  the  bell.  This  mock  priest  was  no  other 
than  Michael  the  sacristan,  who  brought  all  the  church 
ornaments  confided  to  his  care.  He  wore  the  pastor's 
vestments,  and  on  his  head  an  improvised  skull-cap.  The 
acolyte  was  the  parish  bell-ringer. 

The  countess  was  cut  to  the  heart.  The  terrible  in- 
gratitude, especially  of  these  girls,  to  whom  she  had 


THE    EXORCIST 


IS 


been  as  a  mother — more  anxious  indeed  than  their  own 
mothers  to  keep  them  pure  and  innocent — wounded  the 
poor  lady  who  had  taught  them  to  sing  hymns  on  Sun- 
day, had  fed  them  from  her  own  table,  and  had  never 
allowed  them  to  read  a  novel  or  hear  a  bad  word.  And 
this  was  the  outcome  of  her  efforts.  They  insulted  the 
graves  of  her  ancestors,  played  upon  her  nervous  fears, 
destroyed  her  rest,  nearly  drove  her  mad  with  their 
ghostly  noises,  wore  her  clothes  at  their  orgies,  and, 
worse  insult  of  all,  she,  a  high-born  lady  and  a  pure 
woman,  had  the  degradation  of'wearing  these  same  gar- 
ments, defiled  as  they  were  with  the  smell  of  wine  and 
stale  tobacco. 

Bitter  as  such  ingratitude  was,  it  counted  as  nothing 
in  comparison  with  the  profanation  of  using  the  holiest 
things  of  religion,  the  sacred  ornaments  of  the  Church, 
to  carry  out  these  impious  rites.  "  Woe  to  them  from 
who.n  scandal  cometh,"  says  the  Scripture,  and  this  woe 
means  pain  and  suffering  that  no  soothing  balsam  can 
alleviate. 

A  mortal  terror  still  filled  the  countess's  heart.  She 
was  in  the  presence  of  those  who  had  no  control  over 
their  already  besotted  senses.  If  these  drunken  savages, 
these  unsexed  women,  found  their  revels  were  discov- 
ered, what  was  to  hinder  them  tearing  her  to  pieces.? 
There  was  only  one  man  between  her  and  them.  Theu- 
delinde  looked  at  her  solitary  protector.  His  eyes 
gleamed  with  such  apostolic  anger  that  her  timid  soul 
grew  fearful  of  the  consequences,  both  to  him  and  to 
herself,  of  his  just  wrath.  She  seized  both  his  hands, 
to  hold  him  from  venturing  among  such  demons.  The 
abbe  easily  freed  himself  from  the  clasp  of  her  weak 
fingers.  In  one  bound  he  sprang  down  the  steps,  fell 
upon  the  false  priest  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  pronouncing 


Il6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

his  final  stramen  ;  Avith  the  butt-end  of  his  rhinoceros 
whip  he  gave  him  two  blows. 

What  the  countess  now  witnessed  was  truly  no  vision. 
She  saw  how  one  man,  armed  with  no  more  formidable 
weapon  than  a  horsewhip,  ventured  into  the  midst  of 
the  hellish  assembly,  with  one  hand  seized  the  table  and 
overturned  it  and  all  that  w^as  on  it  of  dishes,  glasses, 
and  wine-cups,  with  the  other  cracked  his  whip  in  the 
faces  of  the  guests,  who  sprang  to  their  feet  in  all  the 
terror  of  detection,  like  to  the  profaners  of  the  Temple. 
They  were  driven  towards  the  door  of  the  vault,  the 
abbe's  whip  descending  on  their  shoulders  with  impar- 
tial justice.  They  went  tumbling  over  one  another, 
howling  and  screaming,  pressing  onwards  and  pursued 
by  the  flagellation  of  the  abbe.  The  bagpipe  player  in 
his  haste  missed  his  footing,  those  behind  stumbled  over 
him,  and  so  lay  all  in  a  heap  together.  Not  one  went 
without  carrying  a  remembrance  of  the  abbe's  strong 
arm,  for  he  spared  no  one.  No  effort  was  made  at  re- 
prisals ;  the  criminal  who  is  caught  seldom  shows  fight. 
These  last  were,  moreover,  taken  by  surprise,  and  the 
clergyman  was  possessed  of  extraordinary  strength  ;  one 
man  who  tried  to  drag  the  horsewhip  from  his  hand  was 
dealt  such  a  blow  in  his  face  that  he  was  glad  to  relin- 
quish his  hold  and  take  to  his  heels  without  loss  of  time. 

"  Give  it  to  them  !  give  it  to  them  !"  cried  the  countess, 
who  had  no  pity  for  her  former  servants,  who  had  to 
pass  her  as  they  made  their  way  pell-mell  to  the  door. 
Emeienzia  covered  her  head,  not  from  shame,  but  fear- 
ing her  face  might  get  a  blow.  Almost  the  last  was  the 
sacristan,  whose  clerical  dress  hindered  his  speed,  and 
whose  back  was  so  battered  by  the  abbe  that  the  vest- 
ment he  wore  hung  in  ribbons. 

After  the  last  guest  had  departed,  the   abbe  closed 


THE    EXORCIST  II7 

the  heavy  door  of  the  vault  and  returned  to  where  the 
countess  was  standing.  His  face  wore  an  ahnost  glori- 
fied expression ;  it  was  the  consciousness  of  having 
asserted  his  strength.  As  he  approached  the  countess 
fell  on  her  knees,  and  made  as  if  she  would  kiss  his 
feet,  but  the  abbe  raised  her. 

''  Compose  yourself,  countess.  Your  present  situation 
needs  all  your  strength.  Do  you  know  that  at  this  mo- 
ment there  are  only  two  persons  in  this  castle,  for  I  have 
locked  the  door  which  leads  to  the  court-yard.  This 
folly  is  played  out.  You  see  now  that  no  wicked  spirit 
had  any  part  in  it.  It  was  no  ghost,  only  human  beings 
who  have  had  to  do  with  this  miserable  business." 

"What  shall  I  do.?"  asked  the  countess,  constraining 
herself  to  speak  calmly. 

"Take  my  lantern.  I  am  going  to  lock  the  lattice 
door,  so  as  to  stop  any  entrance  from  this  side.  But 
you  can  return  by  the  way  we  came,  back  to  your  own 
apartment,  where  I  advise  you  to  make  yourself  some 
tea;  you  are  freezing  with  cold." 

"Must  I  go  back  all  that  way  alone?" 

"  Remember  the  words,  '  If  God  is  with  me,  who  is 
against  me,'  and  you  can  never  be  alone.  To  see  ghosts 
is  an  illness  ;  the  method  of  curing  it  must  be  heroic." 

And  as  he  saw  that  the  countess,  in  spite  of  her 
efforts,  could  not  subdue  her  nervous  tremor,  he  took 
her  by  the  hand,  and,  returning  with  her  to  the  library, 
led  her  to  the  glass  case  which  enclosed  the  skeleton, 
and  opened  the  door. 

"  Were  you  afraid  of  this  ?  Why,  it  is  nothing  to  fear. 
It  is  a  standing  proof  of  the  wisdom  of  God.  Every 
limb  of  this  wonderful  collection  of  bones  tells  us  the 
Almighty  created  man  to  be  ruler  of  the  earth.  Look 
at  the  skull ;  upon  this  arched  forehead  is  written  the 


il5  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

birthright  of  humanity,  in  every  corner  and  line  of  the 
face  the  superiority  of  the  white  race  over  all  others. 
This  skull  teaches  us  how  deep  should  be  our  gratitude 
to  an  all-seeing  Providence  who  has  created  us  the  su- 
perior over  all  other  beings  on  the  earth.  The  sight  of 
a  skull  should  cause  no  shudder  in  the  breast  of  man ; 
it  should  give  rise  to  feelings  of  thankfulness  and  rever- 
ence, for  it  is  the  symbol  of  the  great  love  which  our 
Heavenly  Maker  has  for  the  creature  He  has  made  and 
chosen  from  all  eternity." 

As  he  spoke  the  priest  laid  Theudelinde's  cold  hand 
upon  the  skull  of  the  skeleton.  The  countess  trembled 
no  more.  New  life  and  strength  born  of  the  words  of 
this  singular  man  seemed  to  infuse  themselves  into  her 
veins.     She  looked  another  being. 

"Now  go  to  your  room,"  said  the  abbe.  "I  shall 
soon  follow,  but  I  must  first  put  out  the  torches  on  the 
altar.  We  must  not  have  a  conflagration  on  our 
hands." 

"  I  am  quite  ready  to  go  alone,"  returned  the  count- 
ess. "  My  foolish  fears  are  cured,  but  I  am  now  con- 
cerned for  3^ou.  Perhaps  those  wretched  servants  of 
mine  are  still  about,  and  if  you  venture  into  the  vault  in 
the  dark  they  may  fall  upon  you  and  take  their  revenge 
for  being  discovered." 

"  Oh,  I  am  provided  with  what  would  soon  scatter 
such  cowards  as  they  are,"  said  the  abbe,  drawing  a  re- 
volver from  a  secret  pocket.  "  I  had  resolved  to  use 
stringent  measures  with  them  if  necessary.  Now,  in 
God's  name,  retire  to  your  room,  countess." 

Theudelinde,  w^ithout  another  word,  took  the  lantern 
and  went  through  the  long  library.  The  priest  watched 
her  until  she  had  crossed  the  passage,  and  had  opened 
the  door  of  her  own  apartment.    He  then  hastened  back 


THE    EXORCIST 


to  the  vault.     In  the  passage  he  saw  a  blue  flame  burn- 
ing on  a  tin  dish. 

"Alcohol  and  ammonia  mixed  together,"  murmured 
the  priest.  "This  is  what  frightened  Herr  Mahok."^ 
Close  to  it  lav  the  winding-sheet  and  mask.  The  abbe 
pushed  the  vessel  with  the  flame  into  the  corner,  for  he 
knew  that  in  an  encounter  with  an  adversary  it  would 
be  little  profit  to  have  an  illumination,  and  then  he  went 
down  the  dark  passage  carefully.  No  one  was  there ; 
they  had  all  run  away,  and  were  probably  running  still. 
The  lattice  door  stood  open  ;  he  drew  it  to,  and  barred 
it  carefully;  then  he  returned  into  the  vault  and  locked 
it  also,  having  first  extinguished  the  lights,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one,  which  he  took  to  light  him  back  to  the 
countess's  room. 

He  found  her  sitting  composedly  before  the  tea  equi- 
page.    She  had  obeyed  him.     As  he  entered  the  room 
she  rose,  and,  folding  her  hands  upon  her  breast,  cried  : 
"  Most  holy  saint  and  apostle  !" 

"You  must  not  give  me  such  exalted  titles,"  said  the 
abbe,  smiling.  "  What  I  have  done  does  not  merit  such 
hio-h-sounding  terms.  I  have  accomplished  no  miracle, 
fo?  I  had  to  do  with  mortals  only.  One  circumstance 
which  appears  to  you  in  a  miraculous  light  is  easily  ex- 
plained. I  allude  to  my  entering  a  house  wherein  all 
the  doors  were  locked.  But  first,  will  you  pour  out  the 
tea?— and  if  you  will  give  me  a  cup  I  shall  be  grateful, 
for  the  occurrences  of  the  last  hour  have  somewhat  ex- 
cited me.     Then  we  will  talk  the  whole  affair  over." 

The  countess  gave  her  guest  his  tea,  then  sank  back 
in  her  arm-chair,  and  wrapped  herself  in  her  cloak  ;  she 
was  still  shivering. 

"That  the  supposed  ghostly  appearances  and  noises 
were  in   no    sense    supernatural  was  borne  in  on  me," 


I20  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

continued  the  abbe,  as  he  sipped  his  tea,  "from  the  first 
moment  Herr  ]\Iahok  took  me  into  his  confidence.  I 
was  convinced  that  the  nocturnal  disturbance  was  the 
work  of  your  own  household,  and  it  served  their  purpose 
to' make  it  as  ghost-like  as  possible.  The  situation  had 
been  created  by  your  over- caution,  countess.  Your 
women  servants  were  not  allowed  to  hold  communica- 
tion with  the  opposite  sex ;  they,  therefore,  found  other 
means  to  meet,  and  to  give  a  cover  to  these  illicit  meetings 
they  set  up  an  atmosphere  of  ghostly  mystery,  by  which 
their  goings-on  were  well  concealed.  The  conspiracy 
was  perfectly  carried  out.  If  they  had  conducted  their 
sinful  intercourse  on  any  other  lines  you  would  have 
long  since  discovered  them.  When  the  pastor  told  me 
that  he  and  his  sacristan  had  escaped  through  the  lattice 
door,  I  suspected  that  it  was  through  this  door  the  men 
found  their  way  into  the  vault,  and  that  the  sacristan 
must  be  a  participator  in  the  plot,  whatever  it  was. 
Moreover,  I  calculated  that  the  women  must,  of  neces- 
sity, find  their  way  through  the  cellar  passage,  and 
that,  therefore,  they  would  naturally  leave  every  door  in 
the  house  open^  so  that  their  return  might  be  conducted 
without  any  danger  of  awaking  you  by  noise,  such  as 
unlocking  doors.  The  countenance,  the  coloring,  the 
eyes  of  your  companion  betray  her ;  it  is  easy  to  see 
what  she  has  been,  and  that,  moreover,  she  drinks.  I 
knew  to-day  at  dinner  that  she  was  a  hypocrite.  She 
held  forth  against  all  alcoholic  drinks ;  that  settled  her 
with  me.  I  had  no  doubt  that  I  should  find  all  the 
doors  open  ;,  and  I  did.  In  order  to  make  no  noise  I 
came  on  foot  to  the  garden  door.  Countless  footsteps 
in  the  fresh  snow  showed  me  that  the  company  had  al- 
ready assembled.  From  the  open  garden  door  the  foot- 
prints  led  to  the  lattice  door,  and  thence  to  the  vault. 


THE    EXORCIST  121 

This  door  was  put  to.  I  pushed  it  open  and  was  in  the 
passage.  I  went  to  the  left,  up  the  steps  to  the  cellar 
passage  ;  the  door  was  open.  I  could  not  count  upon 
finding  every  door  open  ;  it  was  exactly  as  I  imagined. 
The  only  difficulty  lay  in  passing  through  your  wardrobe- 
room,  which  has  no  key,  but  a  peculiarly  constructed 
spring-lock.  I  felt  certain  that  your  maids  would  borrow 
some  of  their  mistress's  silk  dresses,  and  therefore  the 
spring-lock  would  be  arranged  so  as  not  to  betray  by  its 
loud  snap  the  return  of  the  stolen  garments  to  their 
proper  place.  On  looking  closely  I  found  this  to  be  the 
case ;  the  lock  was  kept  in  its  place  by  the  insertion  of 
a  penkr^ife,  which  could  be  easily  withdrawn.  There- 
fore, countess,  you  have,  night  after  night,  slept  in  this 
castle  with  every  door  open — in  real  danger — at  the 
mercy  of  robbers,  or  even  murderers;  all  the  time 
frightened  to  death  with  ghostly  noises,  which  kept 
you  a  prisoner  to  your  room,  not  venturing  to  call  your 
treacherous  servants.  Countess,  you  have  been  terribly 
punished." 

"  Punished  !"  stammered  the  countess,  her  face  grow- 
ing even  paler. 

"Yes,  punished;  for  you  have  richly  deserved  to 
suffer." 

Theudelinde  fixed  a  horrified  look  on  the  abbe. 

"  Countess,  at  your  door,"  said  the  priest,  sternly, 
"  lies  the  heaviest  portion  of  the  sins  into  which  your 
servants  have  fallen.  You  have,  in  fact,  driven  them 
into  vice.  Your  eccentric  rules,  bizarre  and  ridiculous 
ideas,  made  your  women  servants  liars  and  induced  their 
irregularities.  Nature  punishes  those  who  revolt  against 
her,  and  the  long  years  during  which  you  have  isolated 
yourself  from  the  world  and  from  society  have  been  flat 
rebellion,  which  has  brought  its  own  punishment.     You 


122  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

now  Stand  before  two  judges,  Heaven  and  the  World  ; 
Heaven  is  ready  to  punish  you,  the  world  to  laugh  at 
you  ;  and  the  wrath  of  Heaven  and  the  ridicule  of  the 
world  is  equally  hard  to  bear.  How  do  you  mean  to 
protect  yourself  against  both  ?" 

The  countess  sank  back  annihilated.  Only  just  re- 
covered from  the  anxieties,  horrors,  and  dangers  of  this 
dreadful  night,  she  was  not  able  to  face  the  denuncia- 
tions of  the  priest,  which  were,  in  fact,  only  the  echo  of 
her  own  conscience.  The  torture  was  greater  than  all 
she  had  undergone.  There  was  silence  in  the  room, 
during  which  the  words  rang  in  Theudelinde's  ears  like 
the  tolling  of  a  bell. 

"  How  shall  you  face  the  anger  of  Heaven  and  the 
ridicule  of  the  world  ?" 

At  last  she  thought  of  a  way  out  of  the  difiiculty,  and, 
raising  her  head,  she  said,  in  a  low  voice  : 

"  I  will  hide  my  miserable  head  in  a  convent.  There 
the  ridicule  of  the  world  will  not  reach  me  ;  there,  kneel- 
ing before  the  altar,  I  will  day  and  night  pray  to  God  to 
pardon  my  fault.  You,  oh  most  reverend  father,  will  per- 
haps use  your  influence  with  the  abbess  of  some  convent 
— I  should  prefer  the  very  strictest  order — and  get  me 
admitted.  There  I  shall  find  a  living  grave,  and  no  one 
will  ever  hear  my  name.  I  shall  leave  this  castle,  and 
all  my  fortune,  together  with  my  savings  of  the  last  few 
years,  to  your  order,  with  only  one  condition,  that  every 
night  at  twelve  o'clock  vespers  shall  be  sung  in  the  fam- 
ily vault,  which  has  been  desecrated  by  such  abomina- 
tions as  have  been  practised  there." 

The  countess's  voice,  which  was  low  and  broken  in 
the  beginning,  gathered  strength  as  she  made  this  re- 
nunciation of  her  worldly  goods. 

The  abbe  rose  up  as  she  finished,  and  took  her  trem- 


THE    EXORCIST  1 23 

bling  hand  in  his,  while,  with  a  haughty  elevation  of  his 
head,  he  answered  : 

"  That  everything  may  be  quite  clear,  I  beg  you  will 
understand,  countess,  that  neither  I  nor  my  order  need, 
nor  would  accept,  the  donation  of  your  castle,  your  prop- 
erty, or  your  mone3^  It  is  not  our  custom  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  weak-minded  persons  in  a  moment  of  contri- 
tion, and  to  extort  from  them  compensation  for  their  sins 
in  the  shape  of  their  worldly  goods.  We  have  no  desire 
to  acquire  property  in  so  sneaking  and  contemptible  a 
manner,  and  therefore,  countess,  in  the  name  of  my  or- 
der, I  decline  to  spend  the  night  singing  vespers  in 
your  family  vault,  or  the  day  in  living  on  your  fortune. 
This  idea  you  may  dismiss  altogether  from  your 
mind." 

These  words  filled  the  countess  witii  admiration.  She 
had  already  felt  herself  singularly  attracted  by  this  man. 
This  proof  of  his  disinterestedness  and  indifference  to 
worldly  considerations  completed  his  dominion  over  her 
mind,  and  subjugated  her  to  his  authority.  She  listened 
submissively  while  he  continued  his  admonitions. 

"  For  the  rest,"  he  said,  "  I  should  recommend  you  to 
abandon  all  ideas  of  conventual  life,  which  is  quite  un- 
suited  to  a  person  of  your  nervous,  excitable  nature. 
You  would  find  neither  peace  nor  happiness;  on  the 
contrary,  you  would  be  a  prey  to  all  manner  of  scruples 
and  disquieting  thoughts.  There  are  those  who  find  a 
refuge  and  salvation  in  a  cloister ;  for  you  it  would  be  a 
foretaste  of  damnation,  and  in  all  probability  you  would 
end  like  the  hermit  who  fled  from  the  world  to  pray  to 
God,  and  instead  of  praying,  cursed  Him." 

The  eyes  of  the  countess  glared  at  this  awful  pros- 
pect, but  she  murmured  to  herself,  "  True,  quite  true  !" 

"The  recollection  of  your  faults  has  banished  you  from 


124  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

the  Church  and  has  robbed  you  of  all  power  to  pray," 
continued  the  priest,  in  a  harsh  voice. 

"  True,  quite  true  !''  sobbed  the  countess,  and  beat  her 
breast.  "  I  can  never  again  enter  a  church,  and  I  dare 
not  pray."  Then  with  a  cry  of  despair  she  threw  her- 
self at  the  feet  of  the  abbe,  and  with  feverish  strength 
clasped  both  his  hands,  while  she  screamed  out,  "Where 
shall  I  go,  if  not  to  the  Church  of  God  ?  Who  shall  help 
me,  if  I  cannot  pray  to  Him  ?" 

The  clergyman  saw  it  was  necessary  to  soothe  her 
terrible  excitement. 

"  Your  proper  refuge  is  in  your  own  heart,"  he  said, 
gently,  "  and  your  good  deeds  shall  plead  for  you." 

Theudelinde  pressed  the  priest's  hand  to  her  burning 
forehead.  Then  she  rose  from  her  kneeling  position 
and  stretched  out  her  arms. 

"Command  me.     Advise  me.     What  shall  I  do .?" 

"Return  to  society,  and  take  the  place  your  rank  and 
wealth  entitle  you  to  hold." 

The  countess  fell  back  a  step,  and  stared  at  the  abbe', 
her  face  all  astonishment. 

"  Return  to  the  world  !  /who  left  it  five-and-twenty 
years  ago!  I  should  be  the  laughing-stock  of  every 
one  were  I  to  seek,  at  my  age,  pleasures  which  I  long 
ago  renounced." 

"  Countess,  you  have  voluntarily  thrown  away  that 
portion  of  your  life  to  which  the  world  offers  its  best 
gifts;  but  there  still  remains  to  you  that  other  half, 
wherein  you  can  acquire  the  esteem  of  the  world — that  is, 
if  you  avail  yourself  of  the  means  necessary  for  success." 

"  My  father,  remember  that  in  that  circle  which  you 
wish  me  to  enter  I  shall  meet  nothing  but  contempt  and 
humiliations.  The  present  generation  don't  know^  my 
name,  my  contemporaries  despise  me." 


THE    EXORCIST  125 

"But  there  is  a  magic  circle  in  which  every  one  is 
recognized  and  no  one  is  despised.  Would  you  wish  to 
enter  this  circle  ?" 

"  Place  me  in  this  circle,  father.  Where  is  it  to  be 
found  ?" 

"  I  will  tell  you,  countess.  Your  nation  is  passing 
through  a  crisis;  it  maybe  called  the  battle  for  intel- 
lectual freedom.  All  are  striving  to  place  themselves  on 
a  footing  with  the  intellectuality  of  other  nations — phi- 
losophers, poets,  industrials  ;  men,  women,  boys,  gray- 
beards,  magnates,  and  peasants.  If  they  all  knew  how 
to  strive  together  they  might  attain  their  purpose,  but  all 
are  divided ;  each  works  for  himself  and  by  himself. 
Individual  effort  is  doomed  to  failure,  but  united,  cer- 
tain of  success." 

The  countess  listened  in  breathless  astonishment. 
She  did  not  understand  where  the  abbe  was  leadina: 
her. 

"What  is  wanting  in  this  tremendous  struggle  is  a 
centre.  The  country  has  no  centre.  Debreczyn  is 
thoroughly  Hungarian,  but  its  religious  exclusiveness 
has  narrowed  its  sphere  of  influence.  Szegedin  is  well 
suited,  but  it  is  far  too  democratic.  Klausenburg  is  in- 
deed a  Hungarian  town.  The  aristocracy  are  to  be 
found  there,  and  a  certain  amount  of  culture,  but  it  lies 
beyond  the  Kiralyhago,  and  the  days  of  the  Bethlens 
and  the  Bocskais  are  over.  Pesth  would  be  the  proper 
centre  ;  it  has  every  qualification.  I  have  been  through 
the  five  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  nowhere  have  I  found 
such  a  place.  In  Pesth  no  man  troubles  himself  about 
his  neighbor,  and  each  man  believes  that  the  world  is 
made  for  him  alone.  The  first  look  of  the  city  takes 
one  by  surprise ;  the  fine  embankment  along  the  broad 
Danube  River,  the  beautiful  squares  and  streets,  with 


126  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

the  six-Story  tin  houses,  each  in  a  different  style  of  archi- 
tecture. Side  by  side  are  palaces  built  in  the  Roman, 
Moorish,  Spanish,  or  Renaissance  style,  with,  perhaps, 
the  occasional  introduction  of  a  quaint  Dutch  mansion 
or  Gothic  structure.  Opposite  to  the  great  edifice  of 
the  chain  bridge  rises  a  large  stone  bandbox  with  four 
towers ;  this  is  called  the  Basilica,  but  it  looks  more 
like  a  giant  scaffold  than  anything  else.  On  all  sides 
rage  monster  factory  chimneys,  which  vomit  forth  vol- 
umes of  poisonous  smoke  upon  the  town.  Factories, 
docks,  academical  palaces,  redoubts,  tin  card -houses, 
art  conservatories,  are  crowded  one  over  the  other. 
The  academy  interferes  with  the  business  of  the  docks, 
and  the  noise  of  the  shipping-trade  disturbs  the  acad- 
emicians. The  smoke  of  the  steam  -  engines  suffocates 
every  one ;  while  the  town-hall,  w-ith  all  its  ornamented 
peaks  and  minarets,  says  to  the  stranger,  '  Come  nearer, 
friend  ;  this  is  Constantinople.'  " 

The  countess  could  not  help  smiling  over  this  graphic 
description. 

"The  inner  town,"  continued  the  abbe,  "is  a  laby- 
rinth of  narrow,  irregular  streets,  which  were  built  when 
the  site  of  the  present  town-hall  was  only  a  marsh  for 
the  pigs  to  wallow  in.  In  spite  of  the  narrow  propor- 
tions, these  streets  contain  some  of  the  finest  shops  in 
Europe.  The  contrasts  are  something  w^onderful ;  the 
finest  equipages  jammed  against  the  overladen  wagons 
conveying  merchandise ;  the  most  elegantly  dressed 
women  jostling  against  beggars  in  rags.  The  prettiest 
women  are  to  be  seen  in  this  quarter,  and  this  in  face 
of  a  wind  that  drives  all  the  dust  into  the  eyes.  In  the 
suburbs  houses  are  rising  on  all  sides  with  marvellous 
rapidity,  little  and  big,  in  every  style  and  variety,  giving 
more  dust  for  the  wind  to  play  tricks  with.     The  whole 


THE    EXORCIST  12/ 

place  is  a  stony  wilderness,  with  here  and  there  a  small 
green  oasis  not  bigger  than  a  private  garden.  Round 
about  the  city  lies  a  Sahara,  the  earth  of  which  is  con- 
stantly dug  up,  so  that  the  sirocco  is  never  in  want  of 
dust.  This  is  the  exterior  appearance  of  Pesth,  which 
in  itself  presents  the  different  features  of  a  manufactur- 
ing town,  an  emporium  for  trade,  and  a  city  of  arts  and 
science,  as  well  as  those  of  the  capital  of  an  empire 
and  of  an  American  colon)',  where  men  of  all  classes 
assemble  to  make  their  pile  of  gold,  but  when  this  is 
secured  hurry  away  to  spend  their  winnings  in  other 
places. 

"So  far  as  social  conditions  are  concerned,  and  these, 
after  all,  concern  us  most,"  said  the  abbe',  with  a  quick 
look  at  his  listener,  "  they  are  as  complicated  as  the 
commercial  interests  of  Pesth.  Each  class  is  surround- 
ed, so  to  speak,  with  a  Chinese  wall.  Trade  and  the 
stock-exchange  are  altogether  in  the  hands  of  Jews  and 
Germans.  This  would  not  be  so  much  an  evil  were  it 
not  that  a  great  amount  of  fraudulent  speculation  goes 
on,  and  at  every  turn  of  the  money  market  in  Vienna 
the  funds  go  down.  The  Hungarian  element  is  made 
up  of  tobacco-merchants  and  hand-workers ;  there  are, 
besides  these,  about  twenty  thousand  Slavonians  from 
the  hills,  who  are  day-laborers.  Pesth  is,  or  should  be, 
the  headquarters  of  national  education.  It  is,  however, 
not  the  fashion  to  support  it.  It  should  be  also  the 
centre  of  science  and  literature  ;  it  is  not,  however,  con- 
sidered good  'ton'  to  cultivate  anything  but  foreign 
literature.  Pesth  can  boast  of  very  distinguished 
savivits,  and  of  a  very  haughty  aristocracy;  but  no  one 
is  allowed  to  enter  this  magic  circle  but  those  who  be- 
long to  the  upper  ten.  The  whole  society  is  on  a  wrong 
footing ;  each  one  fights  his  own  battle,  bears  his  own 


128  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

burden  ;  the  finest  ideas  are  lost  because  no  one  under- 
stands the  other.  A  common  standpoint  is  wanting. 
All  healthy  life  is  dying  out,  full  freedom  of  thought 
and  action  being  strangled  by  the  iron  laws  of  the 
short-sighted  government,  which  forbids  discussion  of 
any  kind. 

"  The  Reichstag  and  the  Comitatshaus  are  both 
closed.  The  only  free  ground  left  is  that  of  general 
society;  but  here  class  prejudices  step  in.  A  certain 
portion  of  our  aristocracy  are  too  indifferent  to  trouble 
themselves  to  do  anything  for  the  general  good ;  the 
rest  are  too  fond  of  their  own  ease  and  amusement; 
they  acknowledge  no  other  aim  in  life  but  their  own 
pleasure.  There  are  some,  however,  who  do  know  what 
their  duty  is,  and  who  would  willingly  make  sacrifices  to 
fulfil  it,  but  during  the  last  ten  years  they  have  suffered 
such  a  loss  of  income  that  they  are  no  longer  in  a  posi- 
tion to  bear  the  expense  which  would  be  entailed  by 
opening  their  houses.  There  are  others,  those  most 
fitted  by  intellect  as  well  as  by  position  to  be  leaders. 
Alas  !  they  will  never  return  to  Pesth  ;  it  is  to  them  full 
of  tragic  memories,  which  haunt  the  houses  where  they 
once  lived,  and  which  have  banished  forever  the  laugh 
and  jest  from  those  walls.  Therefore  it  is  that  we  have 
arrived  at  this  position,  that  there  is  not  a  single  centre 
where  the  clever,  the  good,  the  nobleman,  and  the  gen- 
tleman can  meet  on  equal  terms  ;  and  without  this  no 
real  good  can  be  done." 

"Then  let  me  create  this  centre!''  cried  the  countess, 
rising  to  her  feet  and  addressing  the  abbe  with  an  in- 
spired look.  Her  whole  being  seemed  changed  by  this 
new  thought,  which  had  been  skilfully  suggested  by  the 
words  of  the  clergyman,  who  seemed  well  pleased  at  the 
effect  he  had  produced. 


THE    EXORCIST  129 

"Then  you  understood,"  he  said;  "and  for  30U  the 
advantages  will  be  incalculable.  Here  is  the  shelter  you 
require.  If  you  come  to  Pesth,  if  you  live  there  as  befits 
your  rank  and  your  fortune,  you  can  assemble  round  you 
the  very  cream  of  society.  To  your  salo7i  will  come  every 
one,  distinguished  not  alone  by  birth,  but  by  talent — pol- 
iticians, artists,  poets,  magnates,  priests,  prelates,  and 
laymen ,  the  aristocracy  of  the  land  and  the  aristocracy 
of  intellect  shall  be  alike  represented.  Your  mission 
will  be  to  further  by  this  means  the  apostolate  of  truth, 
of  culture  ;  and,  by  so  doing,  to  assist  the  progress  and 
development  of  your  own  nation,  and  for  the  rest  your 
own  position  will  be  most  honorable.  As  hostess  and 
mistress  of  such  you  will  be  respected  and  admired." 

The  countess  seized  the  clergyman's  hand  in  both 
hers,  and  covered  it  with  kisses,  while  in  her  excitement 
she  sobbed : 

"  i  thank  you,  I  thank  you,  I  thank  you !" 

"  Do  you  not  see,  countess,  that  there  is  a  vocation 
for  you  besides  that  of  conventual  life.'"' 

"  You  are  a  prophet." 

"  In  the  meantime,  may  I  ask  you  a  practical  ques- 
tion .''  For  the  task  which  you  have  undertaken  with 
such  praiseworthy  zeal  there  are  certain  material  qual- 
ifications absolutely  necessary,  the  first  being  a  sufficient 
income.  May  I  ask  you  to  give  me  your  confidence  on 
this  delicate  subject.''" 

"  I  am  rich,"  answ^ered  Theudelinde.  "  I  have  my 
capital  at  good  interest.  Likewise,  out  of  my  savings  I 
have  bought  a  fine  mansion  situated  in  the  best  part  of 
Pesth  ;  it  is  at  present  let." 

"You  will  now  take  it  into  your  own  hands,"  said  the 
abbe,  "and  have  it  properly  appointed,  suitable  to  your 
rank.     So  far  as  your  securities  go,  it  may  be  better  to 
9 


130  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

invest  your  capital  differently.  We  shall  see.  How 
much  does  your  yearly  income  from  the  Bondavara  estate 
amount  to  ?" 

"About  twenty  thousand  florins." 

"  How  large  is  the  estate  ?" 

"  From  about  nine  to  ten  thousand  acres." 

*'  Then  the  return  is  far  too  small.  The  agent  is  to 
blame  for  this ;  this  income  would  be  too  little  to  sup- 
port the  position  you  now  intend  to  hold.  Twenty  thou- 
sand florins  would  not  be  nearly  enough  to  keep  up  an 
establishment  on  a  proper  footing  in  Pesth." 

The  countess  was  surprised.  She  said,  humbly,  "  I 
imagined  it  was  a  great  deal  of  money." 

"  So  it  is  for  living  in  the  country ;  but  Pesth  is  as 
dear,  if  not  dearer,  than  Paris.  To  keep  a  proper  estab- 
lishment going,  and  take  the  position  of  a  leader  of  soci- 
ety, such  as  it  is  your  ambition  to  be,  you  must  at  least 
command  a  yearly  income  of  forty  thousand  florins." 

"But  I  cannot  do  that.  What  shall  I  do?"  Theu- 
delinde  said,  in  great  distress. 

The  abbe's  lips  parted  in  a  smile.  "Oh,  we  will 
manage  it  for  you !  For  the  rest  it  will  not  be  difficult. 
The  rental  of  the  estate  must  be  overhauled ;  you  must 
get  a  better  agent,  a  more  enterprising  steward.  I  my- 
self do  not  understand  finance,  but  I  have  friends  in  the 
inner  circle  of  the  stock-exchange,  and  one  or  other  of 
these  will  undertake  to  advise  you  as  to  your  affairs 
when  you  are  settled  in  Pesth.  In  any  case,  I  am  quite 
certain  that  your  land  is  let  too  low ,  it  should  bring  in 
double  the  interest  you  get  from  it.  I  know  so  much  of 
political  economy." 

The  countess  was  delighted  at  these  words.  What  a 
friend  to  have !  Her  income  to  be  doubled !  Truly 
this  abbe  was  sent  to  her  from  heaven. 


THE    EXORCIST  131 

"  Do  as  you  think  best,"  she  said.  "  I  give  you  full 
power  to  act  for  me." 

"  Then,  if  you  will  allow  me,  I  shall  have  your  prop- 
erty revalued,  and  fresh  leases  made.  This  will  double 
your  income,  and  it  will  only  cost  you  a  trifle — a  factor's 
fee,  in  fact." 

Theudelinde  was  like  a  child  in  her  joy — like  a  child 
in  her  submission  to  her  spiritual  adviser,  to  whom  she 
looked  up  as  a  father,  a  counsellor,  a  true  friend. 

All  this  he  might  be  ;  but  it  was  also  true  that  from 
the  date  of  this  conversation  the  owner  of  Bondavara 
lost  her  hold  on  her  own  property  forever. 


CHAPTER   IX 


Countess  Theudelinde  was  beside  herself  with  joy. 
She  ran  to  her  bell-apparatus,  touched  the  spring,  and 
the  machine  put  itself  into  motion. 

"What  are  you  doing,  countess?"  asked  the  abbe',  in 
some  amazement. 

"  I  am  desiring  my  steward  to  be  sent  for  at  once." 

"  By  what  messenger  ?'' 

And  then  for  the  first  time  the  countess  remembered 
there  was  not  a  living  soul  in  the  house. 

She  grew  very  grave. 

"  It  is  truly  a  problem,"  continued  the  priest,  "  to 
know  how  we  are  to  get  out  of  the  castle." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Theudelinde,  who  was 
so  weak-minded  that  she  always  required  to  have  every- 
thing explained  to  her. 

"We  two  are  quite  alone  in  this  house,"  returned  the 
abbe'.  "  If  I  go  away  to  get  the  necessary  assistance 
for  packing  up  your  things  and  making  the  arrange- 
ments for  departure  I  must  leave  you  alone  here." 

"  I  would  not  for  all  the  world  remain  alone  here." 

"  Then  you  have  the  alternative  of  accompanying 
me  on  foot  to  the  nearest  post-house  in  the  adjacent 
village." 

As  he  spoke  the  snow-storm  was  heard  outside  beat- 
ins:  against  the  window.     Theudelinde  shivered. 


"an  obstinate  fellow"  133 

"Why  cannot  we  drive?  My  horses  are  in  the 
stable." 

"But  I  can  neither  harness  them  nor  drive  them." 

"  Oh,  I  should  never  think  of  such  a  thing!" 

Nevertheless,  the  countess  had  now  to  consider 
whether  she  should  remain  alone  in  the  castle  or  take 
the  alternative  of  accompanying  the  priest  in  a  heavy 
fall  of  snow. 

"  Somebody  is  knocking  at  the  door,"  said  the  abbe. 

"It  must  be  my  steward,"  returned  Theudelinde. 
"He  has  heard  what  has  happened,  and  has  come  to 
our  assistance," 

"  But  there  is  no  one  to  open  the  door.  Your  portress 
was  one  of  the  ghosts." 

"She  was  the  old  witch  who  danced  on  the  table." 

"Have  you  by  chance  a  second  key.''" 

"  It  hangs  there  on  that  large  bunch  to  the  right." 

"Then  I  will  take  it  with  me,  in  case  there  is  none  in 
the  lock." 

"  But  the  dogs,  father  ,  they  will  tear  you  in  pieces. 
They  are  fierce  to  strangers." 

"  I  will  call  them  by  their  names,  if  you  will  tell  me 
what  they  are." 

"I  don't  know  their  names,"  returned  the  countess, 
who  never  troubled  herself  about  such  a  common  thing 
as  a  watch-dog's  name. 

"  Then  I  must  shoot  them." 

"  But,  father,  as  gently  as  you  can."  By  this  Theude- 
linde did  not  mean  to  appeal  to  his  compassion  for  the 
dogs,  but  to  remind  him  to  spare  her  sensitive  nerves. 

The  abbe'  took  his  revolver  and  went  on  his  mission  ; 
he  carried  no  lantern  with  him,  for  daylight  had  come. 

Both  the  watch-dogs  lay  one  on  each  side  of  the  door- 
way.    They  were  chained  loosely,  so  that  they  could 


134  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

keep  well  clear  of  one  another,  but  it  was  impossible  to 
pass  between  them  to  the  door ;  if  you  escaped  being 
bitten  by  one,  the  other  was  sure  to  tear  you.  The 
abbe,  therefore,  to  get  to  the  door,  had  to  shoot  one  and 
wound  the  other.  He  then  drew  the  bolt,  and  saw  a  man 
standing  before  him,  a  revolver  in  his  hand. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  What  do  you  want .'"'  asked  the 
priest. 

"  Who  are  you,  and  what  brings  you  here  ?"  returned 
the  stranger. 

"  I  am  the  Abbe  Samuel,  the  countess's  confessor." 

"And  I  am  Ivan  Behrend,  the  countess's  next 
neighbor." 

The  abbe  lowered  his  pistol,  and  changed  his  tone  to 
one  of  courtesy. 

"You  must  confess  that  it  is  rather  an  unusual  hour 
for  you  to  come,"  he  said,  smiling. 

"  Honi  soit  qui  mal  y  pense,"  said  Ivan,  putting  his 
weapon  into  his  pocket.  "  I  came  at  this  unusual  hour 
in  consequence  of  a  letter  which  I  received  this  very 
night,  in  which  I  was  informed  that  the  castle  was  in  a 
state  of  confusion,  and  the  countess  was  in  great  need 
of  help." 

"  The  cause  of  the  confusion — " 

"  Oh,  I  know  ,  that  was  also  in  the  letter.  Therefore, 
I  have  come  to  do  what  I  can,  although  I  am  aware  the 
countess  admits  no  man  into  her  house,  especially  at 
this  hour." 

"  She  will  receive  you  most  certainly.  Allow  me  first 
to  close  the  door.  There  is  absolutely  no  one  in  the 
house.  Take  care  of  the  dog  on  the  left-hand  side  ;  he 
is  still  alive." 

"You  have  shot  the  other  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  you  heard  the  shot  and  drew  your  revolver  ?" 


"an  obstinate  fellow"  135 

"  Naturally.  I  did  not  know  who  might  have  fired 
the  pistol." 

Both  men  ascended  to  the  apartments  of  the  countess. 
The  abbe  entered  first  to  prepare  her. 

"We  have  got  unexpected  help,"  he  said;  "a  neigh- 
bor of  yours,  Ivan  Behrend." 

"A  doubtful  person,"  returned  Theudelinde,  scorn- 
fully.    "  He  is  an  atheist." 

"It  does  not  matter  in  the  present  crisis  whether  he 
be  a  Thug,  a  Mormon,  or  a  Manichaean ,  we  have  great 
need  of  his  help.  Some  one  told  him  of  the  plight  you 
are  in,  and  he  wishes  to  see  you." 

"  I  will  not  see  him,  or  speak  to  him.  I  beg  you  will 
confer  with  him  instead  of  me." 

"  Countess,  if  this  man  is  what  you  say,  a  heretic,  he 
may  say  that  he  will  not  confer  with  one  of  my  cloth." 

"Very  well.  I  suppose  I  must  see  him,  but  you  will 
be  present  ?" 

"  If  it  should  be  necessary." 

The  countess  rolled  her  shawl  round  her,  and  went 
into  the  reception-room,  into  which  the  morning  light 
was  breaking.  Abbe  Samuel  thought  it  necessary,  how- 
ever, to  light  the  candelabras  on  the  chimney. 

Theudelinde,  with  a  freezing  air,  asked  Ivan  to  take  a 
chair,  and  placed  herself  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  her  visitor.  She  signed  to  him  to  begin  the  con- 
versation. 

'^  Countess,  this  night  while  I  was  busy  reading,  some 
one  tapped  at  my  window,  and  when  I  opened  it  thrust 
this  note  into  my  hand.     It  is  written  by  your  steward." 

"  By  my  steward !"  exclaimed  the  countess,  in  a  tone 
of  surprise. 

"  It  is  written  in  his  style,  and  quite  unfit  for  you  to 
read.     I  will  tell  you  what  interests  you.     The  steward 


136  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

says  that  your  entire  household,  without  any  exception 
of  sex,  have  made  good  their  escape,  and  that  he  is  fol- 
lowing their  example." 

"  My  steward  also  !     And  for  what  reason  ?" 

"  He  gives  the  reason  in  his  letter.  I  suspect,  how- 
ever, it  is  only  a  pretext  on  his  part  to  conceal  a  very 
criminal  design.  I  am  of  opinion  that  he  has  robbed 
you." 

"  Robbed  me  !"  repeated  the  countess. 

"Do  not  alarm  yourself;  there  are  different  sorts  of 
robbery,  such  as  being  an  unfaithful  steward,  injuring 
your  land,  making  profit  to  himself  to  your  disadvantage. 
This  man,  I  imagine,  played  this  game,  and  has  now 
tried  to  give  a  humorous  turn  to  his  flight,  so  that  the 
laugh  may  be  turned  against  you.     This  is  my  idea." 

The  countess  was  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  her 
neighbor  wms  both  a  clever  and  a  kind-hearted  man. 

"In  this  letter,"  continued  Ivan,  "your  steward  states 
that  after  what  has  happened  he  could  never  dare  to  look 
you  in  the  face  again,  as  he  could  not  convince  you  that 
the  late  scandals  in  the  castle  had  gone  on  without  his 
knowledge.  I  did  not  believe  these  words.  I  felt  cer- 
tain that  you  had  dismissed  your  household  on  finding 
out  how  grossly  they  had  deceived  you ;  therefore,  my  first 
care  on  getting  this  letter  was  to  send  a  messenger  on 
horseback  to  the  nearest  telegraph-station  with  a  mes- 
sage to  your  banker  in  Pesth,  to  tell  him  that  the  agent 
of  the  Bondavara  estate  had  absconded,  and  on  no  ac 
count  to  honor  his  checks.  I  thought  it  was  probable 
he  had  liberty  to  draw  in  your  name." 

"  This  was  really  very  practical  and  thoughtful  on 
your  part,"  said  the  abbe.  "The  countess  must  feel 
most  grateful  to  you." 

Theudelinde  bowed  her  head  graciously. 


"an  obstinate  fellow''  137 

"One  reason  that  brought  me  here,"  continued  Ivan, 
"was  to  know  if  you  approved  of  what  I  had  done,  and  also 
to  offer  you  my  assistance  in  case  you  wish  to  leave  the 
castle.  I  will  help  you  to  get  away,  and  I  will  send  my 
people  to  look  after  your  property  till  you  can  make  fur- 
ther arrangements." 

"This  is  really  most  neighborly  and  friendly,  and  the 
countess  owes  you  a  debt  of  gratitude,"  repeated  the 
priest,  again  assuming  all  responsibility. 

"  I  am  merely  doing  my  duty,"  returned  Ivan.  "  And 
I  would  add  that  if  you  should  be  in  any  difficulty  as  to 
the  necessary  funds,  which  is  very  likely,  as  the  steward 
and  bailiff  have  both  made  off,  don't  let  this  for  a  mo- 
ment distress  you  ;  I  can  lend  you  ten  thousand  florins." 

The  Abbe  Samuel  whispered  to  the  countess  to  accept 
this  offer  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  was  meant,  and  on  no 
account  to  say  anything  of  interest. 

Theudelinde  accordingly  held  out  her  hand  with  gra- 
cious dignity  to  her  chivalrous  neighbor,  who  drew  from 
his  pocket  the  money  in  bank-notes.  The  countess 
wished  to  give  him  an  acknowledgmewt,  which  he  de- 
clined, saying  the  money  was  lent  for  such  a  short  time 
that  it  was  not  necessary. 

"  And  about  leaving  the  castle,"  he  said.  "  How  soon 
do  you  start  ?" 

"The  sooner  the  better!"  cried  the  countess. 

"Then,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  suggest  a  plan  for  ac- 
complishing the  first  stage  of  the  journey,  which  is  the 
difficult  part  of  the  business,  in  the  first  place  it  will  be 
necessary  to  pack  up  what  you  need.  Will  you  be  good 
enough,  countess,  to  select  the  trunks  you  mean  to  bring? 
When  this  is  done  I  will  harness  the  horses ;  then  we 
must  lock  and  seal  the  rooms,  and  my  servants  will  watch 
them  until  you  send  your  proper  people.     This  done, 


138  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

we  can  set  out ;  and  as  we  shall  have  to  pass  the  stew- 
ard's house,  we  can  call  there,  and  look  for  any  books 
he  may  have  for  keeping  the  accounts  of  the  estate. 
They  would  be  useful." 

"  I  shall  not  go  there  ;  I  don't  want  any  accounts." 

"  Very  good.  Then  we  shall  go  straight  to  the  inn  in 
my  village." 

"What  to  do.?" 

"Because  the  post  is  there.  We  must  get  post- 
horses." 

"And  why  post-horses?  Cannot  I  drive  my  own 
horses?" 

"No." 

"And  why  not?" 

"  Because  they  are  screws.  They  would  not  reach 
the  next  station." 

"My  horses!  Why  do  you  say  they  are  screws?" 
asked  the  countess,  angrily. 

"Because  they  are  in  bad  condition." 

"  Bear  !"  thought  Theudelinde.  "  He  answers  me  so 
roughly." 

"I  shall  not  enter  the  inn,"  she  said,  determinedly. 
"  I  go  nowhere  where  men  drink.  Cannot  I  wait  at 
your  house  until  the  horses  are  changed  ?" 

"  Certainly.  I  am  charmed  to  receive  you,  countess  ; 
only  you  will  find  nothing  suitable  for  you.  I  live  alone 
en  gar^onT 

"Oh,  that  does  not  matter,"  returned  the  countess, 
with  an  air  of  indifference. 

"Will  you  have  the  goodness,  then,"  said  Ivan,  "to 
begin  your  preparations  and  select  the  clothes  you  mean 
to  pack  up  ?" 

Theudelinde  gave  a  strange  smile.  "  My  packing  will 
not  take  long ;  my  luggage  will  not  be  heavy.     Will  you 


AN    OBSTIXATE    FELLOW 


139 


make  a  good  fire  while  I  go  to  my  wardrobe  ?  It  is 
very  cold  in  this  room." 

In  the  sitting-room  there  was  a  large  marble  fireplace, 
and  in  the  ashes  of  the  grate  some  sparks  still  lingered. 
Ivan  put  some  wood  on  the  smouldering  fire,  and  soon 
a  genial  blaze  glowed  in  the  chimney.  It  welcomed  the 
countess,  who  presently  returned,  carrying  in  her  arms  a 
heap  of  dresses  and  clothes  of  all  description. 

Ivan  looked  at  her  in  dismay.  "You  are  going  to 
pack  all  those  ?" 

"Yes,  and  as  many  more,  which  still  remain  in  my 
wardrobe." 

"  But,  countess,  where?" 

"  Here,"  returned  Theudelinde,  as  she  flung  the  bun- 
dle on  the  fire. 

It  filled  up  the  whole  fireplace,  and  the  fire,  catching 
the  light  materials,  there  was  presently  a  crackling 
sound,  while  the  old  chimney  roared  again  wiih  joy  over 
such  a  splendid  contribution. 

The  two  men  looked  on  in  silence  at  this  auto-da-fc. 

Ten  times  did  Theudelinde  go  backward  and  for- 
ward to  her  room,  each  time  returning  with  fresh  arm- 
fuls  of  finery,  and  when  these  were  exhausted,  her  linen, 
boots,  shoes,  etc.,  followed ;  while  at  each  sacrifice  the 
flames  in  the  chimney  leaped  and  danced,  and  the  wind 
blew  the  flames  up  the  chimney,  where  they  roared  like 
so  many  demons. 

"  Well,  this  sort  of  packing  makes  short  work,"  thought 
Ivan,  but  said  nothing. 

The  clergyman  stood  with  his  hands  behind  his  back. 
The  countess's  eyes  danced,  her  cheeks  were  flushed,  her 
activity  was  unceasing.  When  all  was  consumed  she 
turned  to  Ivan  with  a  triumphant  air. 

"  It  is  finished,"  she  said. 


140  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  And  may  I  ask  in  what  toilette  your  ladyship  intends 
to  travel  ?" 

"  In  the  clothes  I  wear,  and  my  fur  cloak." 

"  Then  I  shall  go  and  get  the  carriage." 

When  he  was  gone  the  countess,  assisted  by  the  abbe, 
put  on  her  fur  pelisse  lined  with  sable.  She  took  with 
her  nothing  that  she  had  ever  used ;  in  her  opinion 
everything  was  defiled. 

After  a  few  minutes  Ivan  returned,  and  announced 
that  the  carriage  was  at  the  entrance.  The  doors  were 
then  locked,  and  a  seal  affixed  to  each. 

When  they  entered  the  hall  the  sight  of  the  dog  which 
the  abbe  had  spared  presented  a  difficulty.  If  they  left 
him  he  would  die  of  hunger.  The  countess  thought  it 
would  be  better  to  shoot  him  also.  Ivan,  however,  was 
more  merciful. 

"  I  will  chain  him  to  the  carriage,  and  he  will  follow 
us." 

Theudelinde  was  certain  the  hound  would  bite  him; 
but  the  dog's  instinct  assured  him  that  it  was  a  friend 
who  now  approached.  He  allowed  Ivan  to  put  on  his 
chain,  and  licked  his  hand  to  show  his  gratitude.  All 
was  now  done.  Ivan  locked  the  gates,  gave  the  key  to 
the  abbe,  who  with  the  countess  was  already  seated  in 
the  carriage,  jumped  on  the  coach-box,  and  drove  away 
from  Bondavara  Castle.  They  went  slowly,  for  the  two 
miserable  na^-s,  which  were  dio;nified  with  the  name  of 
carriage  horses,  could  hardly  drag  them  along.  They 
were  spent  with  age  and  starvation,  and  were  only  fit  for 
the  knacker's  yard. 

As  the  vehicle  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  coal-mine 
Ivan  remarked  a  cloud  of  smoke  in  the  distance,  and 
soon  after  they  met  a  group  of  laborers  carrying  requi- 
sites for  putting  out  a  fire,  hurrying  in  the  direction  of 


"AN    OBSTINATE    FELLOW    '  I4I 

the  smoke.  On  being  questioned  they  said  the  granary 
of  the  noble  countess  was  burning,  but  that  they  hoped 
to  extinguish  the  fire. 

"  I  think  it  will  be  easily  done,"  Ivan  said.  "  The 
steward  set  it  on  fire  to  conceal  the  defalcation  in  the 
crop." 

The  countess  was  indignant,  but  Ivan  remarked  dryly 
that  property  had  its  duties,  and  that  those  who  never 
looked  after  their  own  interests  were  fair  game  for  the 
thief. 

A  rough,  ill-mannered  man  ! 

It  was  full  daylight  before  the  noble  coach,  drawn  by 
the  pair  of  noble  nags,  made  its  way  through  the  heavy 
snow  into  the  Bergwerk  Colony.  The  wretched  beasts 
were  steaming  as  they  drew  up  at  Ivan's  door.  Ivan's 
first  care  was  to  call  the  postmaster  to  take  them  to  his 
stable,  and  to  order  a  good  pair  of  fresh  horses  to  re- 
place them.  Then  he  led  his  tired  guests  into  his  work- 
room. All  the  other  rooms  were  cold  and  cheerless,  so 
he  took  them  where  there  was  warmth  and  light. 

In  the  room  everything  was  in  the  utmost  disorder  ; 
it  was  hard  to  find  a  place  where  the  countess  could  sit 
down.  She  looked  about  her  with  astonishment  at  the 
strange  objects  which  encumbered  the  tables  and  chairs  ; 
every  available  spot  was  taken  up  by  some  extraordinar}', 
diabolical-looking  invention.  She  cast  a  look  of  terror 
at  the  chemical  laboratory,  upon  whose  furnace  the  coals 
still  glimmered,  testifying  to  the  experiment  upon  which 
Ivan  had  been  at  work  when  interrupted  by  the  steward's 
tap  at  the  window. 

"  Cagliostro's  workshop,"  she  whispered  to  the  abbe. 
"There  are  mysterious  things  done  here." 

What  annoyed  the  countess  far  more  than  the  evi- 
dences  of  mystery  and    magic  which    surrounded  her 


142  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

was  the  idea  that  she  was  the  guest  and  the  debtor  cf 
this  rough,  common  fellow.  She,  rich,  well-born,  a 
faithful  child  of  the  Church,  owed  her  rescue  from  a 
most  unpleasant  position  to  this  obscure,  godless  trades- 
man. If  she  could  only  pay  him  the  heaviest  interest 
for  his  loan,  and  had  not  to  say  "  thank  you  !"  And 
yet  she  had  to  swallow  the  indignity. 

Ivan,  after  an  absence  of  a  few  minutes,  returned, 
followed  by  a  maid  carrying  a  tray  with  the  steaming 
breakfast.  She  laid  the  cloth,  and  set  out  the  cups  and 
coffee-cans.  The  countess  would  gladly  have  made 
some  excuse  to  avoid  tasting  the  food  presented  by  her 
unholy  host,  but  the  abbe,  who  was  a  man  of  the  world, 
drew  his  chair  to  the  table,  and  invited  Theudelinde  to 
follow  his  example,  "For,"  he  said,  "we  shall  not  get 
anything  to  eat  till  the  evening,  as  there  are  no  inns  on 
our  road  ;  and  you  want  refreshment  before  your  long 
journey." 

When  the  countess  saw  that  no  demons  seized  upon 
the  clergyman,  and  that  the  coffee  of  the  Warlock 
seemed  innocent  of  all  evil,  she,  too,  came  to  the  table 
and  sipped  a  few  spoonfuls,  but  she  found  it  was  execrable 
stuff;  the  milk  was  not  so  bad,  and  she  contented  her- 
self with  that  and  bread. 

Ivan  began  to  talk  about  the  weather — a  very  general 
subject  of  conversation  ;  but  herein  there  was  this  dif- 
ference. Instead  of  an  ignoramus,  it  was  a  meteorol- 
ogist who  handled  the  theme.  Ivan  assured  the  count- 
ess that  both  the  barometer  and  his  English  glass 
pointed  to  fine  weather,  the  sun  was  as  warm  as  in  May, 
their  journey  would  be  excellent.  As  he  spoke,  Ivan 
drew  back  the  thick  green  window  curtains,  and  let  in 
the  bright  sunlight  to  enliven  the  half-darkened  room. 
The  first  effect  of  this  sudden  eruption  of  light  was  to 


"an  obstinate  fellow  143 

show  the  countess  her  own  face  reflected  in  a  large  con- 
cave mirror  which  hung  on  the  wall  opposite  to  her. 

It  is  an  undoubted  fact  that  we  all  like  to  see  our 
reflection  in  a  glass;  our  eyes  wander  to  it  naturally, 
and  the  most  earnest  orator,  in  the  midst  of  his  finest 
peroration,  will  gesticulate  to  his  own  image  with  more 
satisfaction  than  to  a  crowded  audience;  but  it  is  a 
totally  different  thing  if  it  should  be  a  magnifying-glass. 
What  a  horrible  distortion  of  ourselves — head  as  large 
as  a  cask,  features  of  a  giant,  expression  that  of  a  satyr ; 
a  sight  too  dreadful  to  contemplate. 

"  What  an  awful  glass  you  have  there,"  said  the  count- 
ess, peevishly,  as  she  turned  her  back  to  the  mirror. 

"It  is  undoubtedly  not  a  toilette  mirror;  it  is  a  glass 
which  we  use  in  chemical  experiments  to  test  the  high- 
est degrees  of  heat." 

Here  the  abbe,  who  wished  to  air  his  scientific  knowl- 
edge, put  in — 

"  As,  for  example,  for  burning  a  diamond." 

"Just  so,"  returned  Ivan.  "That  is  one  of  the  uses 
of  a  concave  mirror;  it  is  necessary  for  burning  a  dia- 
mond, which  requires  the  flame  of  a  gas  retort." 

The  countess  was  grateful  for  the  abbe"s  remark,  for 
it  gave  her  a  happy  inspiration. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,"  she  said,  addressing  Ivan, 
"that  a  diamond  is  combustible  ?" 

"  Undoubtedly,  for  the  diamond  is,  in  fact,  nothing 
but  coal  in  the  form  of  a  crystal.  With  the  necessary 
degrees  of  heat  you  can  extract  from  the  patrician  dia- 
mond ninety  florins  carat  weight,  the  same  amount  of 
invisible  gas  or  oxide  of  coal  as  from  the  plebeian  lump 
of  coal." 

"That  is  proved  by  the  focus  of  the  magnifier,"  re- 
marked the  abbe. 


144  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  said  the  countess,  throwing  back 
her  head. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  returned  Ivan,  "  that  I  cannot  give  you 
a  proof  that  the  diamond  is  combustible.  We  do  not 
use  such  costly  things  for  mere  experiment,  but  have 
splints  for  the  purpose,  which  are  cheap  in  comparison. 
I  have,  however,  none  of  these  by  me." 

"  I  should  like  to  be  convinced,  for  I  do  not  believe 
it,"  repeated  the  countess.  "  Will  you  make  the  experi- 
ment with  this  ?"  As  she  spoke  she  unfastened  a  brooch 
from  her  dress,  and  handed  it  to  her  host.  The  centre 
stone  was  a  fine  two-carat  brilliant.  Theudelinde  ex- 
pected that  Ivan  would  return  it  to  her,  saying,  "  Oh,  it 
would  be  a  pity  to  use  this  beautiful  stone  ;"  and  then  she 
would  reply,  "Then  pray  keep  it  as  a  slight  remem- 
brance ;"  and  in  this  manner  this  perverse  individual 
would  have  been  paid  and  forgotten.  But,  to  her  amaze- 
ment, the  countess  found  she  had  deceived  herself. 

With  the  indifference  of  a  philosopher  and  the  courtesy 
of  a  gentleman  Ivan  took  the  brooch  from  its  owner. 

"  I  conclude  you  do  not  wish  to  have  the  ornament 
melted,"  he  said,  quietly.  "  I  will  take  the  diamond  out 
of  its  setting,  and  if  it  should  not  burn  you  can  have  it 
reset." 

Without  another  word  he  extracted  the  stone  with  a 
little  pincers,  and  placed  it  at  the  bottom  of  a  flat  clay 
saucepan  ;  then  he  opened  the  window,  which  lay  in  the 
full  blaze  of  the  sun.  He  placed  the  saucepan  upon  a 
stand  in  the  middle  of  the  room  and  just  in  front  of  the 
countess ;  then  he  took  the  magnifying-glass  and  went 
outside,  for  in  the  room  the  sun's  rays  had  not  power  to 
concentrate  themselves  upon  the  mirror. 

The  countess  was  now  certain  that  the  trick  would  not 
succeed,  and  that  she  would  have  an   opportunity  of 


"AN    OBSTINATE    FELLOW  1 45 

offering  the  diamond  to  Ivan  on  the  pretext  of  repeating 
the  experiment  when  the  sun's  rays  would  be  more  pow- 
erful. 

Ivan,  when  he  had  found  the  proper  spot  outside  the 
window,  directed  the  rays  from  the  apex  of  the  burning- 
glass  straight  upon  the  saucepan,  where  the  diamond 
was  waiting  the  moment  of  its  annihilation.  The  stone 
emitted  a  thousand  sparks.  As  the  sun's  rays  touched 
it,  it  threw  out  as  many  colors  as  are  in  the  rainbow; 
it  seemed  as  if  it  were  to  be  the  victor  in  this  fight.  All 
of  a  sudden  the  fiery  rays  condensed  themselves  in  a 
narrower  circle  upon  the  doomed  diamond,  the  small 
room  was  filled  with  a  blinding  light  that  turned  every- 
thing into  silver;  not  a  shadow  remained.  Out  of  the 
saucepan  shot  a  ball  of  fire  like  a  flash  of  lightning ;  the 
next  minute  the  burning-glass  ceased  to  work. 

Ivan  still  stood  outside  the  window.  He  spoke  to  the 
countess,  who  was  transfixed  with  astonishment. 

"  What  is  in  the  saucepan  ?"  he  asked. 

"  Nothing." 

Ivan  returned  to  the  room,  hung  the  mirror  in  its 
place,  and  returned  to  the  countess  her  brooch  without 
its  centre  stone. 

The  abbe  could  not  help  remarking,  dryly,  "  That  little 
drama  is  fit  to  be  played  before  a  queen." 

But  now  the  postilion  blew  his  horn,  the  countess 
put  on  her  fur  pelisse,  and  was  escorted  to  the  carriage 
by  Ivan.  She  was  obliged  to  give  him  her  hand,  and  to 
say  the  words,  "  God  be  with  you." 

When  the  carriage  had  gone  a  little  way  she  said  to 
the  abbe',  "  That  man  is  a  sorcerer." 

But  the  clergyman  shook  his  head.  "  He  is  far  worse ; 
he  is  an  inquirer  into  the  secrets  of  nature." 


CHAPTER   X 
THE    HIGHER    MATHEMATICS 

The  counting-house  of  the  firm  of  Kaulmann  stands  in 
the  same  place  where  it  stood  fifty  years  ago.  The  en- 
trance is  as  it  was,  and  the  very  panes  of  glass  are  iden- 
tical with  those  through  which  the  founder  of  the  house,  in 
1811,  was  wont  to  make  his  observations — as  from  an 
observatory — upon  the  countenances  of  the  passers-by, 
when  a  rise  or  fall  in  the  funds  was  expected.  He  knew 
what  an  excellent  barometer  the  faces  of  a  crowd  make, 
and  how  much  can  be  gleaned  by  observation  ;  so  too  a 
chance  word,  which  is  let  fall  as  it  w^ere  by  accident,  often 
contains  the  germ  of  much  truth,  and  is,  to  an  experi- 
enced man,  in  a  measure  prophetic. 

The  young  head  of  the  house  did  not  set  much  store 
by  the  counting-house  business.  He  had  higher  aims. 
He  lived  on  the  first  floor  in  luxurious  bachelor  cham- 
bers ;  his  sitting-room  was  a  museum,  and  his  Avriting- 
table  was  crowded  with  bronzes  and  antiques  ;  his  ink- 
stand w^as  a  masterpiece  of  Benvenuto  Cellini's  —  or, 
perhaps,  a  good  imitation  in  galvanized  plaster;  his  pen 
was  gold,  with  a  diamond  top  ;  he  used  gold  sand  for 
blotting-paper ;  the  sand-sifter  was  made  of  porphyry, 
the  pen-holder  w^as  a  branch  of  real  coral,  the  paper- 
weight a  mosaic  from  Pompeii,  the  candle-shades  of  real 
crystal,  the  cover  of  the  blotting-book  Japanese.  Every 
article  had  a  value  of  its  own,  from  the  Turkish  paper- 


THE    HIGHER    MATHEMATICS  1 47 

knife  to  the  paper  itself,  which  was  of  all  sorts  and  de- 
scriptions, from  the  thickest  vellum  to  the  most  delicate 
straw  note,  perfumed  with  mignonette  and  musk.  In  spite 
of  these  elaborate  arrangements,  no  one  had  ever  been 
known  to  write  at  this  so-called  writing-table.  The 
science  cultivated  by  Felix  Kaulmann  did  not  require 
the  use  of  pen  and  ink  ;  it  was  purely  mental  work. 
Felix  worked  night  and  day;  during  his  sleep,  even,  he 
worked,  but  no  trace  of  his  labor  was  to  be  found  on 
paper.  When  he  amused  himself — dancing,  riding, 
making  love — he  seemed  altogether  occupied  with  the 
subject  on  hand  ;  he  worked,  nevertheless,  all  the  time. 
He  had  a  certain  goal  at  which  he  was  aiming;  for  this 
he  lived,  for  this  he  strove,  and  this  alone  aroused  his 
interest  and  his  enthusiasm  ;  he  never  forgot  for  one 
moment  the  aim  of  his  life.  He  had  something  more  to 
do  than  to  make  a  pen  travel  over  paper ;  he  iiad  to 
move  men. 

One  day,  not  long  after  the  events  in  the  Castle  of 
Bondavara,  the  Abbe  Samuel  was  seated  in  Felix  Kaul- 
mann's  room.  Both  were  engaged  in  serious  conversa- 
tion. Before  them  an  elegant  equipage  of  fragrant 
Mocha,  whose  fumes  mingled  with  that  of  the  Latakia, 
which  our  friend  the  abbe  smoked  from  a  genuine 
Turkish  pipe.     Felix  only  smoked  cigars. 

"Well,  here  is  your  agreement  with  the  countess.  As 
you  wished  for  thirty-two  years,  it  is  regularly  drawn  up. 
And  now  I  should  like  to  know  of  what  use  it  can  pos- 
sibly be  to  either  you  or  your  company.  It  is  not 
enough  for  the  countess  to  sign  it ;  it  wants  the  signa- 
ture of  the  prince  to  make  the  contract  advantageous  to 
you,  for  the  countess  has  only  a  life-interest  in  the  Bonda- 
vara property.  As  soon  as  she  dies  it  goes  to  the  prince, 
or  to  his  grandson,  and  then  your  agreement  is  null." 


148  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  I  know  that,"  returned  Felix,  knocking  the  ash  from 
his  cigar ;  "  and  for  this  reason  we  must  take  care  and 
keep  the  old  girl  alive.  Let  her  have  a  good  time,  and 
she  will  live  to  a  great  age.  It  is  very  hard  to  kill  an 
old  maid,  especially  if  she  has  lots  of  money.  Besides, 
I  am  not  so  careless  as  you  suppose.  I  have  looked 
into  the  matter;  I  have  seen  the  will  of  the  old  prince, 
and  I  know  all  its  provisions.  There  is  a  clause  that 
makes  me  pretty  safe.  When  Countess  Theudelinde 
goes  off  the  reel,  her  brother,  the  present  man,  or  his 
heirs,  are  obliged  to  compensate  all  those,  either  tenants, 
householders,  or  creditors,  who  may  have  erected  any 
buildings  on  the  estate.  You  see,  the  old  prince  con- 
sidered that  it  would  be  more  than  probable  that  his 
crazy  daughter  might,  in  a  fit  of  holy  enthusiasm,  build 
either  a  church  or  a  convent,  and  he  thought  he  would 
give  the  heirs  the  advantage  of  her  generosity.  It  never 
entered  into  his  head  that  any  one  would  erect  a  fac- 
tor}', a  refinery,  or  open  a  mine.  Now  you  see  how 
useful  this  clause  is  to  me  ;  the  heirs  will  not  be  in  a 
position  to  refund  us  the  two  millions  of  money  we  are 
putting  on  the  property." 

"Unless  they  find  another  company  to  advance  them 
the  money." 

"That  would  not  be  so  easy.  First  of  all,  it  would 
have  to  go  into  the  very  intricate  affairs  of  the  Bonda- 
vara  family ;  then  it  would  require  immense  capital, 
great  energy,  and  a  certain  amount  of  risk.  For  the 
rest,  I  can  see  as  far  as  my  neighbors.  I  don't  sit  with 
my  hands  in  my  lap,  I  can  tell  you,  and  I  have  not  put 
all  my  money  on  one  card." 

"  Right !  By-the-way,  what  has  become  of  the  little 
wild  kitten  you  brought  away  from  the  Bondavara 
mine  ?" 


THE    HIGHER    MATHEMATICS  1 49 

"  I  have  placed  her  for  the  present  in  INIadame  Risan's 
school  ;  she  is  being  educated,  for  she  has  extraordinary 
capabilities,  although  in  a  general  way  she  is  a  stupid 
creature.  She  has  a  splendid  voice,  but  she  cannot 
sing,  as  singing  is  nowadays  ;  she  has  a  wonderfully  ex- 
pressive face,  but  does  not  know  how  to  make  use  of  it; 
she  is  full  of  feeling,  and  speaks  no  language  but  her 
mother-tongue." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  educate  her  for  the  stage  ?" 

''Certainly." 

"And  then  ?" 

"I  intend  to  marry  her." 

The  abbe  raised  his  eyebrows  in  some  astonishment. 

"  I  should  hardly  have  thought,"  he  said,  coldly, 
"that  a  pupil  of  Madame  Risan's  would  be  likely  to 
make  a  satisfactory  wife,  although  she  might  be  an  ex- 
cellent actress." 

Felix  looked  haughtily  at  his  visitor,  then  shrugged 
his  shoulders,  as  who  would  say  the  abbe"s  opinion  on 
this  point  was  indifferent  to  him.  For  a  few  minutes 
the  men  smoked  in  silence ;  then,  with  a  sudden  clear- 
ing of  his  face,  Kaulmann  said,  in  his  blandest  manner: 

"I  want  to  ask  you  a  question.  You  know  the  ins 
and  outs  of  the  marriage  laws.  Is  there  any  means  by 
which  a  marriage  can  be  set  aside  without  having  re- 
course to  the  divorce  court  ?  That  is  always  attended 
with  great  expense  and  a  good  deal  of  scandal  :  and  if 
the  other  side  should  be  obstinate  and  malicious,  it  can 
drag  for  an  interminable  time." 

"  I  know  of  only  one  other  method.  We  will  suppose 
that  you  are  already  married  according  to  the  rules  of 
the  Church  in  this  country.  You  wish,  for  some  reason, 
for  a  dissolution  of  this  marriage.  Well,  you  have  only 
to  go  to  Paris,  and  take  up  your  residence  in  the  bank- 


ISO 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


ing-house  your  firm  has  there.  Your  father  was  a 
French  subject,  so  are  you.  According  to  the  French 
law,  no  marriage  is  valid  that  is  not  solemnized  before 
the  civil  authorities  ;  therefore,  the  remedy  would  be  in 
your  hands.  A  short  time  ago  the  process  was  tried  by 
the  French  court.  A  certain  count  had  married  in 
Spain ;  the  eldest  son  of  this  marriage  sought  to  recover 
his  birthright,  which  had  been  forfeited  in  consequence 
of  his  father's  having  neglected  to  be  remarried  before 
the  registrar  in  France.  The  court,  however,  pro- 
nounced the  Spanish  marriage  invalid,  and  yours  would 
be  a  similar  case." 

Felix  got  up  from  his  seat.  "I  thank  you,"  he  said, 
"  more  than  I  can  say.  If  the  recollection  of  our  youth- 
ful friendship  didn't  remind  me  that  our  compact  was 
always  to  love  one  another,  I  should  certainly  feel  that  I 
owed  you  a  heavy  debt." 

"  For  what  ?"  returned  the  abbe,  lifting  his  eyes  in 
some  surprise.  "It  is  well  for  you  to  remind  me  of  our 
young  days.  Was  I  not  then  the  debtor  of  your  father } 
What  did  he  not  do  for  me  }  He  found  me  a  miserable, 
overworked,  ill-paid  student;  he  made  me  your  tutor, 
and  so  opened  for  me  the  road  to  better  things.  Oh,  I 
never  forget !    But  let  us  not  talk  any  more  of  the  past." 

"  No,  for  the  future  is  before  us,  and  we  shall  work  to- 
gether. Now,  I  must  ask  you,  as  the  countess's  repre- 
sentative, to  sign  the  necessary  papers.  There  is  the 
contract,  and  here  is  the  check  for  the  first  half-year's 
rent,  and  here  is  another  check  for  the  sum  of  forty 
thousand  gulden  on  my  cashier." 

"  To  whom  payable  ?" 

Felix  answered  by  pressing  the  check  into  the  abbe"s 
hand,  while  he  whispered  in  his  ear: 

"To  the  friendly  representative." 


THE    HIGHER    MATHEMATICS  151 

The  Other  shook  his  head,  with  a  wounded  look  on  his 
face.  "  You  mean  to  offer  vie  a  present  ?"  he  said, 
haughtily. 

"You  do  not  understand,"  returned  Felix.  "This 
money  does  not  come  from  me ;  it  forms  part  of  the  ex- 
penses of  the  company,  and  in  all  such  undertakings 
figures  under  the  head  of  'necessary  expenses.'  " 

As  he  spoke,  Felix  lit  another  cigar,  and  looked  slyly 
at  his  companion,  as  who  should  say,  "You  see  what  a 
capital  fellow  I  am !"  Round  the  abbe  Samuel's  mouth 
a  contemptuous  smile  flickered  as  he  tore  the  check  for 
forty  thousand  gulden  into  four  pieces  ;  then  he  laid  his 
hand  upon  the  banker's  shoulder. 

"  My  dear  boy,"  he  said,  "  I  had  the  whole  Bondavara 
property  in  the  hollow  of  my  hand ;  it  was  mine  to  do  as 
I  chose  with  it.  I  did  with  it  as  I  do  with  these  pieces 
of  paper."  He  threw  the  torn  check  into  the  grate. 
"  Know  me,  once  for  all.  I  am  no  begging  monk.  I 
am  a  candidate  for  high  honors;  nothing  will  content 
me  but  to  be  ruler  of  a  kingdom." 

The  haughty  air  with  which  the  abbe  said  these  words 
impressed  the  banker  so  much  that  he  laid  down  his 
cigar  and  stared  vacantly  at  his  visitor. 

"  That  is  a  great  word,"  he  said,  slowly. 

"  Sit  down  and  listen  to  what  I  shall  disclose  to  you," 
returned  the  priest,  who,  with  his  hands  behind  his  back, 
now  began  to  walk  up  and  down  the  room,  pausing  from 
time  to  time  before  his  astonished  listener,  to  whom  he 
poured  out  a  torrent  of  words. 

"The  whole  world  is  in  labor,"  he  said,  "and  brings 
forth  nothing  but  mice.  And  wherefore  ?  Because  the 
lions  will  not  come  into  the  world.  Ciiaos  rules  every- 
where— in  finance,  in  diplomac}^,  in  the  Church.  One 
man   who  would  have   intellect   enough  to  see  clearly 


152  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

could  be  master  of  the  situation.  But  where  is  he  to  be 
found?  Fools  in  embroidered  coats  are  the  leaders; 
therefore  we  see  a  country  governed  by  incapables,  who 
do  not  know  even  where  to  begin.  They  would  fain 
force  it  to  submit,  but  are  afraid  to  use  the  necessary 
means.  They  oppress  it,  and  at  the  same  time  live  in 
dread  of  what  it  may  do.  And  this  same  country  does 
not  itself  know  what  to-morrow  may  bring,  whether  it 
shall  submit,  pay  the  demands  of  its  oppressors,  or  ap- 
peal to  arms  against  their  tyranny  ;  neither  does  it  know 
who  is  its  foe,  who  is  its  friend,  with  whom  to  ally  itself, 
against  whom  to  fight ;  whether  it  will  go  on  submitting, 
whether  it  shall  break  out  into  curses  or  wild  laughter 
at  its  own  follies.  The  country  still  possesses  one  ele- 
ment, which  stands,  as  it  were,  neutral  between  the  two 
parties;  this  element  is  the  clerical;  the  Church  is  a 
power  in  Hungary." 

Felix's  face  grew  darker;  he  could  not  imagine  what 
all  this  would  lead  to.  But  the  abbe  had  now  paused, 
and  was  standing  before  him. 

"  What  do  you  think,  my  son,"  he  said,  "  would  be  the 
reward  due  to  the  man  who  could  find  a  way  out  of  this 
mass  of  confusion — who  could  unite  the  classes,  and 
bring  them  into  conformity  with  the  wishes  of  the  gov- 
ernment.^ Do  you  not  think  that  there  is  nothing 
which  would  better  further  your  Bondavara  speculation 
than  a  submissive  deputation  of  priests  and  people, 
who  would  give  a  promise  of  fidelity  to  the  minister? 
One  hand  washes  the  other;  he  who  brings  about  such 
an  unlooked-for  condition  of  affairs  must  be  recom- 
pensed. Now  do  you  understand  what  use  this  would 
be  to  you?" 

"  I  think  I  begin  to  see," 

"  And  what  office  do  you  think  should  be  offered  to 


THE    HIGHER    MATHEMATICS  1 53 

the  man  who  brings  the  peasant's  frock  into  subjection 
and  elevates  the  mitre  ?"' 

Fehx  clasped  his  hands  together.  That  was  his  an- 
swer. The  clergyman  resumed  his  walk  up  and  down 
the  room  ;  his  lips  were  compressed,  his  head  in  the  air. 

"The  primate  is  an  old  man,"  he  said,  suddenly. 

Felix  leaned  back  in  his  chair.  He  could  see  better 
in  this  position  the  various  expressions  which  passed 
over  the  abbe's  face.  He  started  when  the  abbe  mur- 
mured, almost  under  his  breath  : 

"The  pope  is  still  older." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  and  then  tlie  abbe 
continued,  speaking  fast  and  with  excitement : 

"  Dwarfs  are  at  the  rudder,  my  son ;  dwarfs  who  be- 
lieve that  their  impotent  efforts  will  stem  the  storm.  The 
Church  is  in  danger  of  going  to  pieces,  and  they  make 
use  of  the  old  worn-out  means  of  support.  Listen  to 
my  words.  All  the  efforts  of  Rome  are  fruitless;  it  tries 
to  maintain  its  dignity  with  Peter's  pence,  and  has  al- 
lowed millions  to  slip  through  its  fingers.  Only  here  in 
Hungary  has  the  Church  any  property  left.  I  know  well 
that  in  the  minister's  drawer  there  is  a  paper  prepared 
which  only  needs  the  signature  of  the  state  to  become 
law;  it  only  requires  a  slight  pretext,  and  Vienna  will 
declare  war  against  the  clerical  power  in  Hungary.  She 
will  fight  it  upon  the  liberal  principle,  and  those  who 
oppose  will  be  the  unpopular,  the  losing  side.  It  is  only 
a  question  of  time.  The  deficit  grows  daily,  the  gov- 
ernment is  in  a  hole,  the  treasury  is  empty,  there  is  no 
loan  possible.  Hence  a  fight  over  the  budget,  or  a 
trifling  war  somewhere.  You  know  the  proverb,  'When 
the  devil  is  hungry  he  eats  flies.'  The  clerical  property 
in  Hungary  is  the  fly,  and  Austria  will  make  one  bite  at 
it.     The  chair  of  St.  Peter  and  the  Church  property  in 


154 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


Hungary  are  both  in  danger.  How  is  the  danger  to  be 
averted  ?  Let  us  put  our  shoulders  to  the  wheel ;  let  us 
be  more  patriotic  than  the  democrats,  more  loyal  than 
the  prime-minister,  more  liberal  than  revolutionists ;  let 
us  save  the  Church  property  from  the  government,  and 
the  Church  itself  from  the  revolution.  Let  us  throw  into 
the  market  a  gigantic  loan  of  a  hundred  millions  upon 
the  property  of  the  Hungarian  Church  for  the  rescue  of 
the  throne  of  St.  Peter.  What  do  you  now  think  of  the 
man  who  could  do  this  thing  .^  What  should  be  his  re- 
ward ?" 

"  Everything,"  stammered  Felix,  his  mind  confused 
over  this  bewildering,  yet  fascinating,  programme. 

"To  this  great  work  I  have  destined  you,"  said  the 
abbe,  with  a  solemn,  majestic  air.  "Your  Bondavara 
speculation  is  necessary,  for  with  it  you  can  make  3.  coup 
which  shall  bring  you  a  world-wide  reputation,  your  name 
shall  be  on  a  par  with  that  of  the  Strousbergs,  the  Pe- 
reiras,  with  that  of  Rothschild  itself.  This  is  the  reason 
why  I  have  given  you  my  support.  When  you  are  firmly 
established,  then  I  shall  say  to  you,  '  Lend  me  your  shoul- 
der,' upon  which  I  shall  climb  where  I  will." 

After  this  Felix  sank  into  a  waking  dream.  Before 
his  eyes  gleamed  the  gigantic  loan,  and  through  a  mist 
he  saw  the  tall  form  of  the  abbe  with  a  crown  upon  his 
head. 


CHAPTER  XI 
SOIREES    AMALGAMANTES 

One  winter's  morning  Ivan  Behrend,  to  his  great  as- 
tonishment, received  a  notice  from  the  president  of  the 
Hungarian  Academy  of  Arts  and  Science.  This  notice 
set  forth  that  the  members  of  the  physical,  scientific, 
and  mathematical  department  had  in  the  last  general 
assembly  chosen  him  as  an  honorary  member  of  the  be- 
fore-mentioned departments ;  and  before  being  elected 
member  of  the  academy  itself  he  should,  in  conformity 
to  the  established  custom,  read  before  the  assembly  his 
first  address.  Ivan  was  petrified  with  amazement.  How 
had  such  an  honor  come  to  him  .'*  He  who  had  never 
written  a  scientific  paper  in  any  periodical ;  who  had  no 
connections  or  friend  in  the  academical  assembly,  who 
was  not  a  magnate,  or  had  played  no  part  in  political 
life.  He  was  puzzled ;  he  could  not  conceive  who  had 
brought  forward  his  name.  Could  it  have  been,  he 
thought,  that  in  some  way  his  chemical  researches  had 
reached  their  ears  ?  In  which  case,  as  he  told  himself, 
every  director  of  a  mine,  every  manager  of  a  factory, 
would  be  considered  a  philosopher  and  made  member 
of  the  Academy,  for  every  one  of  them  possessed  as 
much  knowledge  as  he  did.  There  was  no  use  in  think- 
ing about  it ;  the  honor  had  come  to  him,  and  should  be 
accepted.  Ivan  thought  it  best  not  to  look  the  gift- 
horse  in  the  mouth  ;  he  therefore  wrote  to  the  secretary, 


156  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

expressing  his  gratitude  for  the  unlooked-for  honor  con- 
ferred upon  him,  and  stating  that  towards  the  end  of 
the  year  he  would  present  himself  in  Pesth,  and  read 
before  the  illustrious  assembly  his  inaugural  address. 
Then  he  considered  the  subject  of  this  address  long  and 
carefully,  and  spent  much  of  his  time  over  its  elabora- 
tion. It  was  an  account  of  microscopical  crustations, 
the  study  of  which  he  had  followed  closely  during  the 
boring  of  an  artesian  well,  and  which  during  ten  years 
he  had  perfectly  mastered.  It  took  him  until  late  in 
the  autumn  to  complete  his  essay  on  the  subject. 

In  many  places,  where  such  scientific  research  is 
valued  at  its  proper  merit,  his  paper  would  have  been 
appreciated,  and  would  have  even  caused  a  sensation ; 
but  we  are  bound  in  honesty  to  confess  that  it  did  not 
do  so  in  Pesth,  and  that  during  the  sixty  minutes  allowed 
by  the  canon  law  of  all  institutions  for  such  lectures, 
the  microscopical  crustations  produced  an  amount  of 
yawning  unprecedented,  even  among  academicians. 

After  the  reading  of  the  lecture  was  over  the  very 
first  person  to  greet  the  neophyte  and  offer  his  congrat- 
ulations was  the  Abbe  Samuel,  and  then  a  light  burst 
suddenly  upon  Ivan.  He  now  saw  who  it  was  who  had 
discovered  his  talents,  and  who  had  been  his  patron.  It 
was  something  of  a  fall  to  his  vanity  ;  he  had  thought — 
well,  it  didn't  matter,  the  abbe  was  doubtless  as  learned 
as  any  one  in  the  assembly,  and  his  thanks  were  due  to 
him.     Small  attentions,  it  is  said,  consolidate  friendship. 

Ivan  decided  to  spend  some  days  in  Pesth  ;  he  had 
business  to  do.  During  the  week  several  papers  noticed 
his  academical  address ;  the  most  merciful  was  one 
which  announced  he  had  given  an  interesting  lecture 
upon  the  "Volcanic  Origin  of  the  Stalactites."  Ivan's 
only  consolation  was  that  in  his  own  country  no  one  read 


SOIREES    AMALGAMANTES  157 

The  Referate,  and  that  abroad  no  one  understood  it, 
as  it  was  written  in  Hungarian.  He  was  wrong,  how- 
ever ;  some  one  did  read  it — but  of  this  again.  One 
day,  as  Ivan  was  making  his  preparations  for  his  home- 
ward journey,  he  received  from  the  Countess  Theude- 
linde  Bondavara  a  card  of  invitation  for  a  soiree,  which 
would  take  place  three  evenings  later. 

"  Aha !"  thought  Ivan,  "  another  thank-offering.  It  is 
well  that  it  did  not  come  sooner." 

He  sat  down  to  his  writing-table  and  answered  the 
invitation  in  the  most  courteous  manner,  regretting  his 
inability  to  avail  himself  of  it  in  consequence  of  his  im- 
mediate departure  from  Pesth.  He  was  in  the  act  of 
sealing  the  letter  when  the  door  opened  and  the  Abbe 
Samuel  was  announced.  Ivan  expressed  his  great  pleas- 
ure at  receiving  so  distinguished  a  visitor. 

"  I  could  not  let  you  leave  Pesth  without  coming," 
answered  the  abbe,  in  his  most  friendly  manner.  "  My 
visit  was  due,  not  only  because  I  am  much  indebted  for 
your  kind  assistance  at  Bondavara,  but  also  because  I 
felt  it  a  necessity  to  tell  you  what  an  honor  I  count  it  to 
know  such  a  distinguished  scholar  as  you  have  proved 
yourself  to  be." 

Ivan  felt  inclined  to  say  that  he  was  neither  distin- 
guished nor  a  scholar;  he  remained,  however,  silent. 

"  I  trust,"  continued  the  abbe',  seating  himself  upon 
the  sofa,  "  that  you  intend  to  make  a  long  stay  in  Pesth  .?" 

"I  am  leaving  to-morrow,"  returned  Ivan,  dryly. 

"Oh,  impossible!  We  cannot  lose  you  so  soon.  I 
imagine  you  have  a  card  for  the  Countess  Theudelinde's 
next  soiree  f 

"  I  regret  that  I  am  prevented  from  accepting  her 
agreeable  invitation  ;  I  have  pressing  business  which  ne- 
cessitates mv  return." 


158  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  aljbe  laughed.  *'  Confess  honestly,"  he  said, 
"that  if  you  had  no  other  reason  to  return  home,  you 
would  run  away  from  an  entertainment  which  would 
bore  you  infmitely." 

"Well,  then,  if  you  will  have  the  truth,  I  do  confess 
that  a  soiree  is  to  me  something  of  a  penance." 

"  These  soirees,  however,  are  on  a  different  footing 
from  those  reunions  which,  I  agree  with  you,  are  more 
pain  than  pleasure,  and  where  a  stranger  feels  himself 
'  out  of  it,'  as  the  saying  goes.  Countess  Theudelinde 
aims  at  having  a  salon^  and  succeeds  admirably.  She 
receives  all  the  best  people.  I  don't  mean  by  that  ge- 
neric word  only  the  upper  ten,  but  the  best  in  the  true 
sense,  the  best  that  Pesth  affords  in  art,  in  literature,  in 
science  \  the  aristocracy  of  birth,  talent,  and  beauty." 

Ivan  shook  his  head  incredulously.  "  And  how  does 
such  a  mixed  gathering  answer  ?" 

The  abbe  did  not  reply  at  once ;  he  scratched  his 
nose  thoughtfully. 

"Until  they  get  to  know  one  another,  it  is  perhaps 
somewhat  stiff.  But  with  intellectual  people  this  stiff- 
ness must  soon  disappear,  and  each  one  will  do  some- 
thing to  keep  the  ball  rolling.  You  have  an  excellent 
delivery;  I  noticed  it  the  night  of  your  lecture.  You 
could  easily  find  a  subject  on  which  to  lecture  which 
would  interest  your  listeners  by  its  novelty,  surprise 
them  by  its  profundity,  and  amuse  them  by  its  variety ; 
their  intellect  and  their  imagination  would  be  equally 
engaged." 

It  was  Ivan's  turn  to  laugh,  which  he  did  loudly. 
"  My  excellent  sir,  such  a  subject  is  unknown  to  me.  I 
confess  my  ignorance;  neither  in  print  nor  in  manuscript 
have  I  met  with  it." 

The  clergyman  joined  in  the  laugh. 


SOIREES    AMALGAM  ANTES  1 59 

At  this  moment  a  servant  brought  Ivan  a  despatch, 
which  claimed  instant  attention,  so  that  the  receipt 
might  be  given  to  the  messenger  who  waited  for  it. 
Ivan  begged  his  guest  to  excuse  him  if  he  opened  this 
urgent  document.  The  abbe',  with  a  wave  of  his  hand, 
requested  him  not  to  mind  his  presence. 

As  Ivan  read  the  letter  a  remarkable  change  passed 
over  his  face  ;  he  grew  suddenly  pale,  his  eyebrows  con- 
tracted, then  a  sudden  rush  of  color  came  into  his  cheeks. 
He  held  the  letter  before  him,  read  it  several  times, 
while  his  eyes  had  a  wild  stare,  as  if  he  had  seen  a 
ghost.  Then  all  at  once  he  fell  to  laughing.  He  thrust 
the  letter  into  his  pocket,  and  returned  to  the  subject  he 
had  been  discussing. 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  go  to  Countess  Theude- 
linde's  soiree,  and  I  shall  give  a  lecture  before  her  guests 
such  as  they  have  never  heard  the  equal ;  that  I  prom- 
ise you.  Science  and  poetry,  imagination  and  learning 
mixed  together,  with  dates  and  genealogy,  so  that  the 
savants  present  will  not  know  what  to  think  ;  I  shall  give 
a  lecture  which  will  make  every  geologist  a  prince,  and 
every  princess  a  geologist.     Do  you  follow  me  ?" 

"Perfectly,"  returned  the  other;  not,  indeed,  that  he 
saw  what  Ivan  meant,  but  that  he  Avished  to  encourage 
him.     "  That  will  be  the  very  thing — first-rate  !" 

"  What  do  you  say  to  illustrations  by  means  of  an 
electric-magnetic  machine,  eh?" 

"  A  capital  idea,  and  amusing.  My  dear  friend,  you 
will  have  a  succesT 

"  May  I  ask  you  to  convey  to  the  countess  my  ac- 
ceptance of  her  invitation  ?  I  shall  require  a  large  ap- 
paratus." 

"I  can  assure  you  in  advance  that  the  countess  w'ill 
be  charmed  at  your  kind  offer.     As  for  tiie  apparatus 


l6o  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

and  arrangement,  leave  that  to  her ,  she  will  be  over- 
joyed when  she  hears  that  she  is  to  expect  you." 

The  abbe  then  took  his  leave,  fully  contented  with 
his  visit.  Ivan  again  read  his  letter,  and  again  sat  star- 
ing into  space,  as  if  a  ghost  had  appeared  to  him. 

People  said  the  Countess  Theudelinde's  Soirees  Amal- 
ga7na7ites  would  certainly  make  history.  The  mixture 
was  excellent :  grandees  jostled  elbows  with  poets  ;  acad- 
emicians with  prelates;  musicians,  painters,  sculptors, 
actors,  critics,  professors,  physicians,  editors,  sportsmen, 
and  politicians  of  all  shades  gathered  under  one  roof. 
It  was  a  bold  experiment,  a  brilliant  society  in  thesi. 
Neither  was  there  wanting  the  element  of  female  attrac- 
tion;  all  that  Pesth  held  of  beauty,  charm,  and  grace 
lent  its  aid  to  the  scheme  of  amalgamation. 

Count  Stefan,  a  cousin  of  Countess  Theudelinde,  was 
a  great  help  to  her  soirees,  for  he  w^as  a  w^ell-informed 
and  cultivated  young  man,  able  to  talk  on  all  subjects, 
and  especially  on  the  poetry  of  the  world.  As  for  the 
Countess  Angela,  she  was  a  classic  beauty ;  her  grand- 
father was  a  political  celebrity — a  great  man,  who  had  a 
surrounding  of  all  kinds,  bad  and  good.  It  was  there- 
fore quite  in  keeping,  according  to  the  usages  of  society, 
that  when  an  unfortunate  outsider  was  presented  to 
Countess  Angela,  he  should,  after  the  third  word  or  so, 
make  mention  of  her  illustrious  grandfather,  Prince 
Theobald  of  Bondavara,  and  inquire  after  his  health. 
After  this  question,  however,  the  Countess  Angela  never 
addressed  the  stranger  another  word.  She  allowed  him 
to  speak,  if  he  so  wished,  and  to  retire  in  some  confu- 
sion. Even  the  most  dried-up  specimen  of  university 
learning  felt  aggrieved.  His  heart  could  not  resist  the 
first  glance  of  those  heavenly  eyes,  so  sweet  and  friendly, 
now  so  cold  and  haughty.     And  yet  what  had  he  done  ? 


SOIREES    AMALGAMANTES  l6l 

The  poor  man  will  probably  never  know ;  he  is  not  in 
the  inner  circle. 

Countess  Angela  was  indeed  a  perfect  ideal  beauty; 
this  cannot  be  too  often  repeated.  A  pure,  noble  face, 
with  classical,  well-proportioned  features,  nose  and  lips 
finely  cut,  long,  straight  eyebrows  and  lashes,  which 
veiled  the  eyes  of  a  goddess.  When  these  eyes  glowed, 
or  when  they  were  half-closed  under  their  downy  lids, 
they  looked  black,  but  when  they  laughed  at  you,  you 
would  swear  they  were  blue.  Her  hair  was  rich,  of  that 
most  lovely  of  all  shades,  chestnut  brown  ;  her  whole 
countenance  betrayed  that  she  knew  herself  to  be  charm- 
ing, that  she  was  aware  that  she  was  the  centre,  at  all 
times,  of  admiration,  and  that  such  knowledge  pleased 
her  well.  And  why  not.^  A  woman  must  be  very  silly 
not  to  be  aware  that  beauty  is  a  gift  and  a  power. 

But  what  was  the  reason  of  her  cold  looks  at  the  men- 
tion of  her  grandfather's  name  ?  Just  what  one  might 
expect  from  a  woman  with  her  face.  All  the  world — 
that  is,  her  world — knew  that  she  and  her  grandfather, 
Prince  Theobald  of  Bondavara,  were  at  daggers  drawn. 
The  wily  old  politician  had  given  his  only  and  beautiful 
granddaughter  to  a  German,  Prince  Sondersheim.  She 
w^as  to  consolidate  some  political  matter,  only  she  didn't 
see  it  in  that  light,  and  refused  to  ratify  the  bargain,  not 
caring  for  Sondersheim ;  and,  for  the  matter  of  that, 
neither  did  he  care  for  her.  But,  then,  it  didn't  mean  so 
much  to  him.  Angela  had  her  ideal  of  married  life, 
however,  and  so  she  quarrelled  with  her  grandfather 
because  he  pooh-poohed  her  ideals  and  called  them 
romantic  folly.  Upon  this  she  vowed  she  would  never 
speak  to  him  again,  and  he,  being  angry,  told  her  to 
leave  his  house,  which  she  did  at  once,  and  came  to  her 
Aunt  Theudelinde,  who  had  just  set  up  at  Pesth,  and 


1 62  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

was  glad  to  have  so  bright  and  beautiful  a  niece.  Since 
then  she  had  refused  all  communication  with  her  grand- 
father. This  was  the  reason  that  she  would  not  even 
hear  his  name  mentioned  ;  and  it  never  was,  except  by 
ignorant  outsiders,  or  "  know-nothings,"  as  the  Yankees 
call  them. 

The  Abbe  Samuel  had  wit  enough  to  see  that  the 
Soirees  Amalgamantes  were  not  the  success  they  should 
be.  Conversation  did  not  suffice  ;  amalgamation  was  at 
a  standstill.  The  young  girls  sat  in  one  room,  the  mar- 
ried women  in  another;  the  men  herded  together,  look- 
ing glum,  but  not  so  bored  as  the  women.  Then  the 
abbe,  considering  what  ought  to  be  done,  had  a  happy 
idea.  He  introduced  dramatic  representations,  dramatic 
readings,  concerts,  which  were  a  decided  success.  Soon 
conversation  became  lively,  strangers  got  to  know  one 
another  ;  when  they  rehearsed  together  duets  and  little 
pieces  their  stiffness  wore  off.  The  women  seemed  dif- 
ferent in  morning  dress,  free  from  the  restraints  of  the 
grand  toilette  ;  they  grew  quite  friendly,  and  later  on 
they  found  a  subject  upon  which  they  discoursed  quite 
at  their  ease.  It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  after 
midnight,  when  the  readings,  the  concert,  or  the  repre- 
sentation was  over,  and  the  outsiders  had  gone  home  to 
their  beds,  society  began  to  enjoy  itself.  The  young 
people  danced,  the  old  played  whist  or  tarok,  and  they 
stayed  till  daybreak.  They  would  have  done  the  same 
had  the  scientists,  the  poets,  the  artists  remained  ;  they 
didn't  want  them  to  leave,  but,  naturally,  these  people 
felt  themselves  out  of  it,  and,  besides,  they  could  not  sit 
up  all  night  like  the  others,  so  they  went  home  very 
properly  ;  they  knew  their  place. 

The  Abbe  Samuel  understood  how  to  manage  mat- 
ters.    Whenever  the  countess  was  to  have  a  particularly 


SOIREES    AMALGAMANTES  163 

good  evening  he  took  care  it  should  get  talked  about, 
and  the  names  of  the  performers,  their  parentage  and 
histor}',  together  with  any  interesting  circumstance, 
true  or  false,  should  be  subjects  of  conversation  for  days 
before.  In  this  way  he  sent  about  Ivan  Behrend's 
name  with  a  great  many  details  as  to  his  interesting  life 
in  the  mines,  his  extraordinary  cleverness,  and  the  won- 
derful lecture  he  was  going  to  give  at  the  countess's 
next  soiree. 

The  abbe  knew  his  world,  and  how  to  whet  its  curiosity 
by  exaggerated  reports. 

"Is  it  true  that,  for  one  experiment  only,  he  burned  a 
brilliant  belonging  to  Countess  Theudelinde  which  was 
worth  eight  hundred  gulden  ?" 

"  The  stone  weighed  four  carats,  and  was  worth  fif- 
teen hundred  pounds." 

"We  must  give  him  a  good  reception.  See,  here  he 
comes,  escorted  by  Abbe  Samuel !" 

The  gentleman  who  had  just  spoken,  and  who  was 
the  Countess  Angela's  cousin,  was  Count  Edmund,  a 
handsome  young  man  of  about  twenty-two  years  of  age. 
He  hastened  to  meet  Ivan  and  the  abbe  as  they  entered 
the  door,  and  introduced  himself  as  nephew  to  the  lady 
of  the  house.  He  took  Ivan  by  the  arm  in  the  most 
friendly  manner,  and  led  him  to  Count  Stefan,  uncle  to 
the  countess.  The  count  was  a  man  of  intelligence  and 
reading ;  he  assured  Ivan  there  were  those  in  the  room 
who  were  much  interested  to  hear  his  lecture.  After 
this  he  was  presented  by  his  new  friend  to  several  dis- 
tinguished-looking persons  with  decorations,  who  all 
pressed  his  hand,  and  spoke  in  the  most  friendly 
manner.  The  beginning  of  the  evening  was  the  most 
agreeable  portion.  The  abbe  and  Ivan  finally  made 
their  way  into  the  next  room,  where  the  ladies  were  as- 


164  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

sembled,  and  here  they  found  the  Countess  Theudelinde, 
who  received  them,  and  especially  Ivan,  most  graciously. 
The  young  man.  Count  Edmund,  again  took  possession 
of  him,  and,  laughing  and  talking,  led  him  up  to  the 
Countess  Angela,  to  whom  he  was  introduced  with  a 
great  flourish.  Before  this  lovely  vision  Ivan  bowed, 
feeling  somewhat  stunned,  yet  not  shy  or  awkward. 

"  You  come  very  seldom  to  Pesth,"  said  the  young 
countess,  with  a  reassuring  smile. 

"  It  is  some  time  since  I  have  been  here  ;  but  I  under- 
stand this  is  your  first  visit,  countess.  You  have  never 
lived  in  Pesth  ?" 

Angela's  face  assumed  its  cold  expression  ;  she  felt 
sure  he  was  going  to  inquire  for  Prince  Theobald. 

"  I  do  not  see,"  she  said,  in  a  sarcastic  voice,  "  what 
it  is  to  any  one  whether  I  have  ever  been  in  Pesth." 

"It  is  not  an  uncommon  accident,"  returned  Ivan, 
quietly,  "that  a  man  visits  a  place  where  he  has  never 
been  JDcfore ;  but  when  many  people  meet  in  the  same 
spot,  it  looks  as  if  there  was  something  more  than  acci- 
dent in  such  a  gathering;  and  in  this  instance,  where  so 
many  brilliant  personages  are  brought  together,  it  seems 
as  if  Providence  had  more  to  do  with  it  than  mere 
chance." 

At  these  words  Angela's  face  cleared,  "Then  you 
believe  in  Providence  ?  you  acknowledge  there  is  such 
a  thing  as  Divine  ordinance  ?" 

"Undoubtedly,  I  do  believe." 

"Then  we  shall  be  friends."  She  turned  away  as  she 
spoke,  and  Ivan  took  this  movement  as  a  signal  to  re- 
tire. 

After  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  further  waiting,  Edmund 
came  to  tell  him  that  everything  was  in  readiness  in  the 
lecture-room,  and   the  company  had   already  gathered 


SOIREES    AMALGAMANTES  1 65 

there  in  considerable  numbers.  Ivan,  therefore,  as- 
cended the  stage,  which  had  been  erected  at  the  farther 
end  of  the  large  room,  and,  holding  his  papers  in  his 
hand,  addressed  his  audience.  He  had  a  pleasant  voice, 
his  manner  of  address  was  perfectly  unaffected,  com- 
posed, and  taking.  From  the  first  moment  he  held  the 
attention  of  the  audience — his  subject  was  Magnetism. 


CHAPTER    XII 

RITTER     MAGNET 

When  the  lecture  had  concluded  the  lamps  were  car- 
ried out  of  the  room,  and  only  the  candles  in  the  lustre 
were  left  lighted.  Ivan  then  exhibited  to  the  astonished 
spectators  the  electric  light.  Many  of  them  had  never 
seen  such  a  clear,  beautiful  light  as  this  ball  of  virgin- 
like purity.  It  looked  like  one  of  the  heavenly  planets, 
as  if  Venus  had  descended  from  her  place  in  the  firma- 
ment and  was  shining  on  the  company.  The  candles 
in  the  lustre  burned  blue,  and  threw  shadows  on  the 
wall.  Every  face  lost  all  trace  of  color  from  the  effect 
of  this  strange  illumination ;  people  whispered  to  one 
another,  almost  frightened.  Ivan,  standing  upon  the 
platform,  looked  like  some  magician  of  old,  his  features 
chiselled  like  a  statue,  his  eyes  in  deep  shadow;  and 
what  added  considerably  to  the  picturesque  effect,  and 
heightened  the  charm  of  this  noble  assembly,  was  the 
strange  coloring  given  by  the  light  to  the  splendid 
national  costume  worn  by  the  company,  and  the  enam- 
elled appearance  of  the  jewels  on  the  ladies'  necks  and 
arms. 

The  eyes  of  every  one  were  directed  to  two  persons, 
while  an  involuntary  "  Ah  !"  was  whispered  about  at  the 
extraordinary  transformation  produced  in  their  appear- 
ance. One  was  Countess  Angela.  The  light  seemed  to 
have  taken  from  her  face  that  pride  and  self-satisfaction 


RITTER    MAGNET  1 67 

which,  although  natural  in  one  so  beautiful,  gave  an 
earthly  expression  to  her  face,  and  somewhat  marred  its 
beauty.  Now  she  looked  a  heavenly  vision,  with  the  ex- 
pression of  a  glorified  spirit  who  had  done  with  earth 
and  had  soared  upward  to  her  true  home  in  heaven  ;  all 
earthly  passions,  joy,  sorrow,  love,  and  pride,  had  van- 
ished. Such  was  the  miraculous  effect  of  the  magic 
light.  The  other  transformation  was  in  Countess  Theu- 
delinde.  She  was  seated  in  an  armchair,  raised  upon  a 
sort  of  divan.  The  magic  light  touched  her  face  gently, 
and  gave  it  a  fairy-like  expression  ;  the  noble  features 
were  spiritualized,  her  naturally  pale  coloring  became 
transparent,  the  brilliants  in  her  magnificent  tiara  spar- 
kled over  her  forehead  as  a  garland  of  stars ;  she  was 
sublime,  and  for  five  minutes  the  most  beautiful  among 
the  beautiful.  It  was,  nevertheless,  many  a  long  year 
since  her  mirror  had  told  her  she  was  beautiful.  This, 
too,  was  the  miraculous  effect  of  the  magic  light.  Round 
the  hall  there  were  large  pier-glasses  set  into  the  wain- 
scot, which  reflected  every  one  of  the  company.  Theu- 
delinde,  therefore,  could  see  herself  beautified.  She 
sighed  as  she  thought,  "  I  look  like  Queen  Mab." 

Suddenly  the  miraculous  light  went  out,  and  the  room, 
lit  only  by  the  candles,  seemed  in  total  darkness.  "Ah !" 
in  sorrowful  tones  was  echoed  through  the  assembly; 
people  rubbed  their  eyes  and  recognized  the  familiar 
faces  again.  Alas !  it  was  over  too  soon.  There  were 
no  more  angels,  fairies,  queens,  or  heroes  ;  only  a  group 
of  excellent  every-da}^  people,  counts  and  countesses. 
The  face  of  Angela  again  wore  its  proud,  vain  expres- 
sion, and  Theudelinde  was  once  more  stiff  and  ill-tem- 
pered. 

Ivan  now  descended  from  his  platform,  and  received 
the  congratulations  and  compliments  due  to  his  efforts. 


l68  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

There  were  different  opinions,  of  course,  but  they  were 
private.  Every  one  joined  in  praising  the  lecturer  to 
himself. 

Ivan  thanked  every  one  for  their  approval,  but  with  a 
coldly  reticent  manner,  and  soon  disengaged  himself 
from  his  admirers  to  go  in  search  of  his  hostess ;  he 
wished  to  thank  her  for  her  kindness. 

Theudelinde  received  him  with  smiles.  Countess  An- 
gela was  with  her,  leaning  on  the  back  of  her  aunt's 
chair.     The  young  girl  had  just  said  : 

"  You  looked,  auntie,  quite  lovely — a  perfect  Queen 
Mab." 

The  smile  these  words  had  called  to  Theudelinde's 
face  still  lingered  round  her  lips  when  Ivan  presented 
himself.  For  these  five  minutes  of  beauty  she  was  in- 
debted to  this  man,  and  was  not  ungrateful.  She  gave 
him  her  hand,  and  thanked  him  in  the  most  gracious 
manner  for  the  enjoyment  he  had  given  her. 

"  I  owe  you  something,"  returned  Ivan.  ''When  you 
honored  my  house  with  a  visit,  you  gave  me  a  diamond 
which  you  allowed  me  to  burn  before  your  eyes.  I  now 
in  return  for  your  goodness  on  that  occasion  give  you 
this  diamond,  which  was  created  before  your  eyes."  With 
these  words  he  handed  her  a  piece  of  carbon,  which  he 
had  taken  from  the  voltaic  pillar.  "  As  I  explained  to 
you  in  my  lecture,  coal  can  be  changed  by  electricity 
into  a  diamond,  and  in  this  condition  can  cut  glass." 

"Ah!"  cried  the  Countess  Angela,  her  eyes  beaming 
with  pleasure,  "let  us  try  the  experiment  now.  Where 
is  there  a  glass  ?     Yes,  one  of  the  pier-glasses.     Come." 

Countess  Theudelinde  was  also  excited.  She  stood 
up,  and  went  with  the  others  to  the  pier-glass. 

"Write  one  of  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,"  said  An- 
gela, and  watched  Ivan  attentively.    She  was  curious  to 


RITTER    MAGNET  169 

see  the  letter  he  would  choose.  If  he  were  vain,  as  very 
likely  he  was,  he  would  write  his  own  initial  "  I  ";  if  a 
toady  and  flatterer,  like  most  of  the  people  round  her 
aunt,  he  would  choose  "  T,"  as  the  countess's  initial ;  and 
if  he  were  a  silly  fool,  like  so  many  other  men,  he  would 
write  "  A."  In  either  of  these  cases  he  would  have  seen 
on  the  beauty's  face  a  scornful  smile. 

Ivan  took  the  piece  of  coal,  and  with  the  point  wrote 
on  the  glass  the  letter  "  X."  Both  ladies  expressed  their 
astonishment  at  seeing  the  coal  write,  and  Countess 
Theudelinde  assured  Ivan  it  should  be  preserved  care- 
fully with  her  other  jewels. 

Countess  Angela  stood  so  near  Ivan  that  the  folds  of 
her  dress  touched  him. 

"  I  believe,"  she  said,  slowly,  "  every  word  you  told  us. 
I  beg  of  you  do  not  tell  me  that  all  your  romantic  de- 
scriptions were  but  the  necessary  clothing  of  a  dry 
scientific  subject,  meant  to  make  it  palatable  to  your  silly, 
ignorant  audience,  and  to  raise  in  their  minds  a  wish  to 
seek  further,  so  that  they  might  in  so  seeking  acquire  a 
taste  for  knowledge.  I  do  not  want  to  seek,  I  believe 
implicitly  all  you  said ;  but  of  this  world  of  wonder  and 
miracles  I  would  know  more.  How  far  does  it  go  ? 
What  more  do  you  see,  for  the  magician  must  know 
everything .'"' 

The  young  countess  looked  into  Ivan's  eyes  as  she 
spoke  with  a  strange  magnetic  power  impossible  to  re- 
sist. Such  a  look  as  this  had  often  dazzled  men's  brains. 
"  You  said,  also,"  continued  Angela,  "  how  fiery  and 
strong  are  those  who  live  in  this  magnetic  kingdom,  but 
that  they  have  no  credit  for  the  virtues  they  possess;  it 
is  due  to  the  working  of  magnetism.  I  believe  this  also. 
Magnetism  has,  however,  two  poles,  the  north  and  the 
south  pole.     I  have  read  that  the  opposite  poles  are 


lyo 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


drawn  to  one  another,  and  the  homogeneous  drift  asun- 
der. If,  therefore,  in  the  magnetic  kingdom  hearts  are 
drawn  to  one  another,  seek  one  another,  love  one  an- 
other, which  is  an  immutable  fact,  so  also  is  it  an  im- 
mutable fact  that  there  must  be  human  beings  who  hate 
one  another  with  an  undying,  a  deadly  hatred,  and  that 
such  hatred  is  no  sin.     Am  I  not  right  ?" 

Ivan  felt  that  he  was  driven  into  a  corner ;  he  under- 
stood the  drift  of  the  countess's  question.  Here  his 
knowledge  of  natural  philosophy  came  to  his  assistance. 

"  It  is  true,"  he  said,  "  that  so  far  as  life  upon  the 
earth  is  in  question,  there  must  also  exist  antipathies 
and  sympathies.  You  have  studied  magnetism,  you  have 
read  of  the  poles,  therefore  you  must  know  that  there 
exists  an  equator,  or  line,  which  is  neither  north  nor 
south.  This  is  the  magnetic  equator,  that  neither  draws 
the  magnet  nor  repulses  it,  and  here  there  is  perfect 
peace.  Just  such  an  equator  is  found  in  every  human 
heart,  and  however  a  man  may  be  carried  away  by  the 
passions  of  love  or  hatred,  his  line  remains  unchange- 
able, and  those  who  dwell  there  dwell  in  peace." 

"  And  who  are  the  people  who  live  under  the  mag- 
netic equator?"  asked  the  countess,  with  curiosity. 

"  For  example,  parents  and  their  children  should 
dwell  there." 

The  young  girl's  face  was  covered  with  a  vivid  blush  ; 
her  beautiful  eyes  shot  a  battery  of  lightning  glances  at 
Ivan,  who  remained  quite  unmoved  under  this  battery. 

"We  must  talk  more  of  this,"  she  said,  with  sudden 
dignity. 

Ivan  bowed  before  the  haughty  beauty,  who  turned 
and  left  him  to  the  company  of  her  aunt  or  of  his  own 
sex.     He  preferred  the  latter. 

Meantime,  the  lecture  being  over,  a  rush  had  been 


RITTER    MAGNET  171 

made  to  the  refreshments.  The  army  of  outsiders  were 
the  first  in  the  field.  If  they  were  of  little  account  else- 
where, they  took  first  place  at  the  buffet,  and  here  the 
citizen  showed  distinctly  his  origin. 

Ivan  mixed  with  the  company,  and  conducted  himself 
as  one  accustomed  to  such  society,  and  quite  at  his  ease 
in  it,  and  he  was  w'ell  received.  The  men  were  very 
civil  towards  him ;  every  man  under  forty  used  the 
friendly  "  thou  "  in  addressing  him  ;  he  was  made  one 
of  themselves.  It  didn't  matter  much,  as  he  was  said 
to  be  leaving  Pesth  the  next  day,  and  would  be  lost  in 
the  depths  of  Mesopotamia.  Some  one  said  he  came 
from  Africa.  They  tried  teasing  him  a  bit,  all  in  a 
friendly  way,  and  w^ere  pleased  to  find  this  pedant  was 
an  excellent  fellow,  who  took  the  joke  in  good  part, 
laughed  heartily  at  a  well- delivered  thrust,  and  re- 
turned it  with  a  sly  hit,  which  never  offended  any  one's 
feelings. 

"He  is  one  of  us,''  they  said.  "This  man  is  up  to 
everything  ;  he  is  a  capital  fellow.  We  must  give  him  a 
good  time." 

"  Is  it  true  that  you  don't  drink  wine  ?"  asked  the 
Marquis  Salista  of  Ivan. 

"Once  a  year." 

"And  to-day  is  not  the  anniversary  ?" 

"No." 

"Then  we  have  drunk  enough  for  one  year  ;  let  us  be 
moving." 

Some  of  the  men  returned  to  the  drawing-room  ;  these 
were,  for  the  most  part,  the  young  fellows,  and  those 
who  wished  to  dance.  The  ladies,  after  their  tea,  had 
begun  to  play  quadrilles,  and  even  the  "  Csardas  "  for 
those  who  wished  for  it. 

Count  Stefan,  however,  drew  away  the  better  portion 


172  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

of  the  men  to  his  quarters,  which  were  on  the  second 
story  of  the  countess's  house.  Here  he  entertained  in 
his  way.  His  rooms  being  on  the  other  side  of  the 
house,  no  noise  penetrated  to  the  story  below,  which 
was  necessary,  as  the  count's  champagne  was  of  the 
very  best,  and  given  with  no  sort  of  stint ;  it  flowed,  in 
fact.  Ivan,  who  was  of  the  party,  showed  himself  in  a 
new  light ;  he  drank  wine  ;  his  toasts  were  spicy,  his 
anecdotes  fresh  and  amusing,  his  wit  sharp  and  unre- 
strained ;  and  although  he  drank  freely,  he  didn't  turn 
a  hair,  he  was  quite  steady. 

"  Brother,"  hiccoughed  Count  Geza,  who  towards  two 
o'clock  was  half  drunk,  "  the  captain  and  I  have  agreed 
that  when  you  are  quite  done  up  we  shall  carry  you 
home  and  put  you  to  bed;  but,  my  dear  friend,  my  dear 
Ritter  Magnet,  the  misery  is  that  I  don't  think  I  can  get 
up  the  stairs;  I  am  quite  done.  Therefore,  take  your 
wings  and  fly,  and  let  the  captain  take  his,  and  both  of  you 
fly  home.  As  for  me — "  Here  the  count  laid  down  on 
the  sofa  and  fell  asleep. 

Every  one  laughed  ;  but  the  name  he  had  given  Ivan 
— Ritter  Magnet — stuck  to  him. 

"  Do  you  care  to  play  cards,  my  learned  one  ?"  said 
the  Marquis  Salista. 

''  Once  every  three  years." 

"That  is  not  often  enough." 

The  marquis  could  not  at  this  moment  explain  why  it 
was  not  often  enough,  for  at  this  moment  Count  Stefan 
acquainted  his  guests  that  it  was  time  for  them  to  depart, 
seeing  that  the  ball  below  stairs  had  broken  up,  and 
every  one  had  gone  aw^ay.  The  countess's  rest,  therefore, 
might  be  disturbed  by  any  noise  overhead.  Every  one 
agreed  that  this  was  quite  proper. 

"Only,"  said  Salista,  "there  is  no  need  for  us  to  go 


RITTER    MAGNET  1 73 

home.  Let  us  have  the  card-table.  Let  us  spend  our 
time  well.     Who  is  for  a  game  ?" 

Three  players  soon  presented  themselves  ;  Baron  Oscar 
was  one  of  the  first.  But  the  fourth?  The  captain 
called  to  Ivan. 

"  Now,  my  learned  friend." 

Count  Stefan  thought  it  necessary  to  inform  the 
stranger,  who  was  his  guest,  that  at  the  tarok-table  the 
stakes  were  very  high. 

"Only  a  kreuzer  the  point,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  but  kreuzer  points  in  such  a  game  often  amount 
to  seven  or  eight  hundred  gulden  to  the  losing  side. 
These  gentlemen  have  changed  a  simple  game  into  a 
hazardous  venture." 

Ivan  laughed.  ''Every  day  of  my  life  I  play  hazard 
with  nature  itself;  every  day  I  speculate  with  all  I  have 
on  a  mere  chance,  and  play  only  one  card."  So  saying, 
he  rolled  his  chair  to  the  green  table. 

The  game  commenced.  The  game  of  hazard,  as  it  is 
generally  played,  is  a  game  of  chance,  it  needs  only  luck 
and  boldness  ;  a  drunken  man  can  almost  win  by  ac- 
cident. But  as  it  is  played  in  Pesth  it  is  something 
quite  different ;  what  is  called  luck,  chance,  accident,  is 
here  allied  to  skill,  prudence,  consideration,  and  bold- 
ness. The  tarok-player  must  not  only  study  his  cards, 
but  also  the  faces  of  his  adversaries.  He  must  be  La- 
vater  and  Tartuffe  in  one;  he  must  be  a  general  who 
develops  at  every  moment  a  fresh  plan  of  campaign,  and 
a  Bosco  who  can,  from  the  first  card  that  is  played, 
divine  the  whole  situation ;  he  must,  however,  be  gener- 
ous, and  sacrifice  himself  for  the  sake  of  the  general 
good.  Therefore  it  was  that  the  spectators  pitied  Ivan 
when  he  sat  down  to  the  card-table  to  play  with  these 
three  masters  of  the  game. 


174  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

It  was  seven  o'clock  when  the  players  rose  from  the 
card-table.  As  Ivan  pushed  back  his  chair,  the  marquis 
said  to  him  : 

"Well,  comrade,  it  is  a  good  thing  for  the  world  at 
large  that  you  only  drink  once  a  year  and  play  cards 
once  in  three  years,  for  if  you  did  both  every  day  there 
would  be  no  more  wine  in  Salista's  cellar  nor  no  gold 
left  in  Rothschild's  bank." 

Ivan  had,  in  truth,  stripped  the  three  gentlemen. 

"  Nevertheless,  we  must  have  a  parting  cup,"  con- 
tinued Salista.  "Where  is  the  absinthe,?"  As  he  spoke 
he  filled  two  large  glasses  with  the  green,  sparkling 
spirit,  of  which  moderate  people,  regretting  this  pru- 
dence, it  may  be,  never  drink  more  than  a  liqueur  glass. 

Count  Stefan  shook  his  head  over  what  he  considered 
a  bad  joke,  but  Ivan  did  not  shrink  from  the  challenge; 
he  clinked  his  glass  with  that  of  the  captain,  and  emptied 
it  without  drawing  breath.  Then,  with  his  most  courte- 
ous bow,  he  took  leave  of  his  host.  Count  Stefan,  who  on 
his  side  assured  him  it  would  always  be  a  pleasure  to 
receive  so  delightful  a  guest. 

As  Ivan  made  his  way  into  the  anteroom  his  step 
was  steady,  his  air  composed.  Not  so  the  marquis  ;  the 
dose  had  been  too  potent  for  him.  He  insisted  upon 
claiming  Ivan's  astrakhan  cap  as  his,  and,  as  there  was 
no  use  arguing  the  matter  with  an  inebriate,  Ivan  had 
to  go  home  in  the  military  helmet  of  a  hussar  officer. 
On  the  staircase  the  captain  maintained  that  he  could 
fly,  that  he  was  one  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  magnetic 
kingdom,  and  had  wings.  The  others  had  all  the  trouble 
in  the  world  to  get  him  down  the  stairs.  When  he  came 
to  the  first  floor  he  thought  of  paying  the  Countess 
Theudelinde  a  visit,  to  thank  her  for  her  kind  reception 
of  his  lecture,  for  he  was  the  lecturer,  and  he  was  ready 


RITTER    MAGNET  1 75 

to  blow  out  the  brains  of  any  one  who  contradicted  him. 
He  was  with  great  difficulty  got  into  2i  fiacre,  and  driven 
to  his  hotel.  When  he  got  there  he  had  to  be  carried 
to  his  bed,  where  he  lay  in  a  deep  sleep  until  late  in  the 
following  day. 

Meantime  Ivan,  after  a  short  rest,  went  about  as  usual, 
wrote  his  letters,  and  paid  some  visits. 

"  He  carries  his  liquor  like  a  man,"  said  Count  Stefan. 
And  from  this  time  all  the  world  called  him  the  knight 
of  the  magnet. 

The  knight  was  to  be  met  everywhere.  He  had 
numerous  visitors ;  he  was  invited  to  the  best  houses. 
He  was  elected  honorary  member  of  the  club;  he  had 
been  introduced  by  the  abbe'.  The  club  had  three 
classes  of  members  —  the  day  grubs  and  the  evening 
and  the  night  birds.  In  the  daytime  the  library,  which 
was  an  excellent  collection  of  rare  books,  was  visited  by 
all  the  littej'ateurs  of  Pesth.  From  six  to  eight  came  the 
lawyers  and  the  politicians  to  play  whist  and  talk  poli- 
tics, and  from  eight  until  midnight  the  men  of  fashion 
had  their  innings.  In  this  way  two  men  might  go  every 
day  to  the  club  and  never  meet  one  another. 

Ivan  first  ransacked  the  library,  then  he  distributed 
his  time  equally.  He  thought  no  more  of  returning 
home.  He  enjoyed  everything  and  went  everywhere, 
never  missing  on  the  opera  nights  to  pay  a  visit  to  the 
Countess  Theudelinde's  box  on  the  grand  tier. 

In  the  second  week  of  his  stay  the  countess  gave  her 
ball.     Ivan  was  invited,  and  went. 

"  Shall  you  dance  ?"  asked  the  captain. 

"  I  haven't  done  so  for  fifteen  years." 

"It  suits  men  of  our  years  to  look  on,"  remarked  the 
marquis,  languidly.  "  No  man  dances  now  after  two- 
and-thirty." 


176  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Looking  on  was  pleasant  enough.  The  nameless  grace 
and  wonderful  agility  displayed  by  the  aristocratic,  fash- 
ionable woman  was  a  sight  for  the  gods  to  admire. 
Countess  Angela  was  to-night  surpassing  fair.  She 
wore  a  rose-colored  dress,  with  a  body,  in  the  Hungarian 
fashion,  all  studded  with  pearls  ;  the  sleeves  were  of 
lace.  She  had  taken  a  fancy  to  dress  her  hair  like  the 
peasant  girls,  in  two  long  tresses  plaited  with  ribbons; 
it  suited  her  to  perfection.  But  men  get  tired  of  every- 
thing, even  of  a  sight  fit  for  the  gods.  After  supper  one 
said  to  the  other  : 

"Let  us  make  use  of  our  time;  the  young  fellows  can 
dance  ;  let  us  play  tarok." 

Ivan  played  cards  every  day.  He  played  most  games 
well ;  he  never  disputed  with  his  partners.  He  could 
lose  with  a  good  grace  ;  when  he  won  was  not  elated. 
When  he  held  bad  cards  he  showed  no  ill-temper,  and 
seldom  made  a  mistake.  He  was  looked  upon  as  an 
acquisition,  and  for  a  savant  he  was  really  a  useful 
man.  On  this  evening  he  was  in  exceptionally  good- 
luck. 

Suddenly  Count  Edmund  came  into  the  card-room  in 
a  violent  hurry.     He  said  to  Ivan  : 

"  Throw  down  your  cards.  Angela  wishes  to  dance  a 
turn  of  the  Hungarian  cotillon  with  you." 

Hungarian  cotillon  !  Strange  times,  that  we  should 
have  a  Hungarian  court,  a  Hungarian  ministry,  Hun- 
garian silver  and  gold  coins.  That  is  nothing  wonder- 
ful ;  it  is  only  natural,  it  is  fate,  and  due  to  us.  But  a 
Hungarian  cotillon  belongs  to  the  day  of  agitators.  We 
dance  the  cotillon  to  the  air  of  "  Csardas." 

Ivan  obeyed  Angela's  mandate.  When  he  came  to 
her  he  bowed  low  before  her. 

"  You  wouldn't  have  troubled  yourself  to  come  near 


RITTER    MAGNET 


77 


me  only  I  sent  for  you,"  she  said,  in  a  tone  of  gentle 
reproach. 

"  Into  the  presence  of  a  queen  one  doesn't  intrude ; 
we  wait  to  be  summoned." 

"  Don't  try  and  flatter  me  ;  if  you  do  like  the  others 
I  shall  treat  you  as  I  do  them,  and  not  speak  one  word 
to  you,  I  much  prefer  your  way,  although  you  are  al- 
ways offending  me." 

"  I  do  not  remember  to  have  ever  offended  you." 

"  Because  you  do  nothing  else.  You  know  that  very 
well." 

It  was  now  their  turn  ;  they  joined  the  waltzers,  and 
no  one  would  have  guessed  that  it  was  fifteen  years 
since  Ivan  had  danced. 

Meantime,  in  the  card -room  there  was  some  gossip 
over  this  new  whim  of  the  young  countess.  Count  Ed- 
mund, as  he  shuffled  the  cards,  declared  his  cousin  An- 
gela was  bewitched  about  this  Ritter  Magnet. 

"Ah,  is  that  so?"  cried  the  Marquis  Salista. 

"  Don't  you  believe  him,"  interrupted  Count  Stefan. 
"I  know  our  pretty  Angela;  she  is  as  full  of  mischief 
as  a  kitten.  As  soon  as  she  remarks  that  a  man  has  a 
hobby-horse,  she  makes  him  ride  it,  puts  it  through  all  its 
paces,  caracoling,  leaping,  haute  ecole.  This  is  her  trick  : 
once  she  knows  the  subject  which  interests  a  man,  she 
talks  of  it  with  such  an  earnest  face,  such  sympathetic 
eyes ;  and  when  he  has  left  her,  charmed  at  her  intelli- 
gence, her  sweetness,  she  ridicules  the  unfortunate  devil. 
This  is  the  way  she  treated  poor  Sondersheim,  a  very 
brave  young  fellow,  who  has  only  one  fault,  that  he  wor- 
ships Angela,  and  she  abhors  him.  She  laughs  at  ev- 
erybody." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  she  praises  Ivan,  not  to  his  face, 
but  behind  his  back  to  me,  and  not  because  he  is  a  man 


178  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

of  science,  a  geologist,  but  because  he  is  such  a  brave 
man." 

"That  is  another  of  her  tricks ;  the  artful  puss  knows 
right  well  that  the  praise  which  comes  at  third-hand  is 
the  sweetest  of  all  flattery." 

"I  take  good  care  not  to  repeat  one  word  to  Ivan." 

"There  you  show  him  real  friendship,"  remarked  Sa- 
lista,  laughing. 

In  the  ball-room  the  dancers  had  returned  to  their 
places. 

"You  were  ready  to  leave  Pesth,"  Angela  was  saying, 
with  a  charming  pout.  "  You  needn't  deny  it ;  the 
abbe  told  me." 

"  Since  then  circumstances  have  detained  me  longer 
than  I  expected,"  returned  Ivan,  coolly. 

"  Have  you  got  a  family  at  home  ?" 

"  I  have  no  one  belonging  to  me  in  the  world." 

"  And  why  have  you  not  V 

This  was  a  searching  question. 

"Perhaps  you  already  know  what  my  business  is.  I 
have  a  colliery ;  I  work  with  the  miners,  and  spend  my 
day  underground." 

"  Ah,  that  explains  everything,"  said  Angela,  regard- 
ing him  with  tender  sympathy.  "  Now  I  understand 
that  you  are  indeed  right.  It  would  be  terrible  to  con- 
demn a  woman  to  the  sufferings  a  miner's  wife  must  en- 
dure. What  can  be  more  terrible  than  to  take  leave  of 
her  husband  each  morning,  not  knowing  whether  they 
will  ever  meet  again  ;  to  know  he  is  in  the  depths  of 
the  earth  while  she  breathes  the  fresh  air  of  heaven  ;  to 
fancy  her  beloved  is  perhaps  buried  alive,  and  she  can- 
not hear  his  cries  for  help  :  that  even  if  it  is  not  so,  that 
he  is  surrounded  by  a  deadly  atmosphere,  that  it  only 
needs   a  spark  to  become  a  hell,  in  which  her  darling 


RITTER    MAGNET 


79 


would  be  lost  to  her  forever  ?  I  can  understand  how  a 
woman's  heart  would  break  under  such  a  daily  agony; 
even  to  her  child  she  would  say,  'Do  not  run  so  fast, 
else  a  stone  may  fall  on  your  father's  head  and  kill 
him.'  "  Then,  with  a  sudden  change  of  expression,  An- 
gela turned  angrily  to  Ivan.  "  But  why  do  you  stay 
down  in  the  mine  like  a  common  miner?" 

"Because  it  is  my  element,  as  the  battle-field  is  that  of 
the  soldier,  the  sea  of  the  sailor,  the  desert  of  the  trav- 
eller. It  is  with  me  as  it  is  with  them — a  passion.  I 
love  the  mysterious  darkness  of  the  world  underground." 

The  warmth  with  which  Ivan  spoke  these  words 
kindled  an  answering  enthusiasm  in  his  listener. 

"Every  passion  is  absorbing,"  she  said,  "especially 
the  passion  for  creation  and  for  destruction.  I  under- 
stand how  a  w^oman  would  follow  a  man  she  loved,  not 
only  to  the  field,  but  into  the  battle  itself,  although  the 
art  of  war  has  now  become  a  very  prosaic  and  second- 
class  affair,  and  has  lost  every  trace  of  idealism.  I  con- 
fess, however,  the  heroism  of  the  miner  is  to  me  incom- 
prehensible. A  man  who  occupies  himself  with  dead, 
cold  stones  is  to  me  like  that  Prince  Badrul-Buder  in 
the  'Arabian  Nights,'  who  was  turned  into  a  stone,  and 
whose  wife  preferred  a  living  slave  to  her  marble  hus- 
band. I  prefer  those  who  penetrate  to  unknown  regions 
of  the  globe,  and  I  could  envy  the  wife  of  Sir  Samuel 
Baker,  who  travelled  by  his  side  all  through  the  deserts 
of  South  Africa,  holding  in  one  hand  a  pistol,  while  the 
other  hand  was  clasped  in  that  of  her  husband.  To- 
gether they  bore  the  burning  heat,  together  repulsed  the 
savage  wild  beasts.  Hand  in  hand  they  appeared  be- 
fore the  King  of  Morocco,  and  what  the  arm  of  the  hus- 
band failed  to  procure  was  given  to  the  charms  of  the 
wife.     I  can  place  myself  in  the  position  of  this  woman, 


l8o  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

who,  alone  and  deserted  in  the  Mangave  wood,  sat 
through  the  livelong  night  with  the  head  of  the  wounded 
traveller  on  her  lap  and  a  loaded  pistol  beside  her.  To 
heal  his  wounds  she  ventured  into  the  woods  and  found 
herbs  ;  for  his  food  she  contrived  to  cook  in  the  desert. 
She  did  this  for  the  only  man  she  loved,  whose  only  love 
she  is  and  has  ever  been.  Her  name  is  known  and 
revered  in  every  place  where  Europeans  have  pene- 
trated." 

Again  they  had  to  join  the  circle  of  dancers,  and  when 
they  returned  to  their  place  Angela  resumed  the  conver- 
sation : 

"What  I  said  just  now  was  sheer  nonsense;  the  whole 
thing  was  the  outcome  of  despicable  vanity.  A  misera- 
ble idea  to  travel  through  countries  where  a  woman  is 
hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  a  beast,  and  that  be- 
cause she  walks  upright;  where  the  ideal  of  beauty  is  to 
have  the  upper  lip  bored  into  a  big  hole,  so  that  when 
laughing  the  nose  is  visible — ridiculous  !  And  then  to 
be  proud  because  she  was  the  most  beautiful  woman, 
and  her  husband  perforce  was  faithful  to  her.  A  great 
thing,  indeed,  to  be  the  queen  of  beauty  amid  mon- 
sters of  ugliness  !  No,  no  ;  I  know  of  something  better, 
far  bolder.  A  w^oman,  Fraulein  Christian,  has  accom- 
plished a  journey  alone  on  horseback  all  across  the 
steppes  of  Asia.  What  if  a  man  and  a  woman  had  the 
courage  to  penetrate  through  the  Polenia  Canal  to  the 
warm  seas  discovered  by  Kane  ?  or  if  a  man  and  a 
\voman  had  the  courage  to  cast  anchor  in  the  regions  of 
the  north  pole,  and  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  magnetic 
kingdom  boldly  say,  '  Compare  yourselves  with  us ;  we 
are  handsomer,  stronger,  more  faithful,  happier  than 
you  are  '  ?  That  would  be  a  triumph  ;  and  such  a  jour- 
ney I  would  willingly  undertake." 


RITTER    MAGNET  l8l 

As  she  said  these  words,  Angela's  eyes  gleamed 
upon  Ivan  with  the  splendor  of  the  aurora  borealis. 
Ivan  decided  within  himself  upon  a  sudden  experiment. 

"  Countess,  if  you  have  the  passion  or  desire  to  visit 
strange  worlds,  and  to  excite  the  benighted  inhabitants 
to  a  proper  emulation  for  something  better,  truer,  more 
intellectual  than  that  they  have  hitherto  known,  if  this 
is  really  your  laudable  wish,  I  can  recommend  to  your 
notice  a  country  equally  in  need  of  such  enlightenment, 
and  infinitely  nearer  to  you." 

"  What  is  it .?" 

"  It  is  Hungary." 

"But  are  we  not  in  Hungary  already?" 

"  Countess,  you  are  in  it,  but  not  of  it.  You  are 
merely  visiting  us.  You  do  not  know  what  and  who  we 
are.  You  need  not  go  so  far  as  the  poles  or  Abyssinia ; 
here  is  a  new  world  open  to  you,  a  large  field  where 
your  passion  for  creating  and  improving  can  be  easily 
gratified." 

Angela  opened  her  fan,  and  with  an  air  of  indiffer- 
ence fanned  her  white  bosom. 

"What  can  Ido^     I  am  not  my  own  mistress." 

"  You  are  not  your  own  mistress,  and,  nevertheless, 
you  rule." 

"  Over  whom  ?" 

"  Countess,  it  would  only  need  one  word  from  you  to 
bring  the  green  palace  and  all  it  contains  from  Vienna  to 
Pesth.  The  society  here  requires  that  leading  person- 
ality which  now  in  Vienna  is  lost  among  the  crowd, 
whose  existence  is  spent  in  aimless  inaction.  Pesth 
needs  the  prince,  your  grandfather.  He  adores  you. 
One  word  from  you  would  give  to  our  life  a  new  being; 
one  word  from  you  and  Prince  Theobald  would  reside 
here." 


l82  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Angela  ceased  fanning  herself;  with  an  angry  gesture 
she  folded  her  hands,  and  turned  an  angry  look  upon 
Ivan. 

"  Do  you  know  that  the  subject  you  have  just  men- 
tioned is  so  distasteful  to  me  that  any  one  who  has  vent- 
ured to  name  it  to  me  has  forfeited  ray  acquaintance?" 

"  I  am  quite  aware  of  the  fact,  countess.*' 

"And  why  have  you  dared  to  approach  the  subject?" 

"  I  will  tell  you,  countess.  Because  of  an  old  con- 
nection between  our  families." 

"  Ah,  that  is  something  quite  new.  I  have  never 
heard  of  it." 

"  Possibly  not.  One  of  your  ancestors  was  a  cardinal, 
and  one  of  mine  was  a  minister  in  Patak — a  great 
difference  in  their  relative  positions,  no  doubt;  and  this 
difference  had  a  terrible  result  for  my  ancestor.  The 
cardinal  condemned  him  to  the  galleys  for  life.  The 
minister  had,  however,  only  one  word  to  speak,  as  the 
cardinal  told  him,  and  he  would  be  free.  That  word 
was  ahrenwicio — 'I  renounce,'  or  'recant.'  He  would 
not  say  the  word,  however,  and  so  he  went  to  the  gal- 
leys. As  they  were  putting  round  his  neck  the  iron 
collar,  from  which  the  chains  hang  w^hich  fasten  the 
slave  to  his  bench,  your  ancestor,  the  cardinal,  who  was 
not  a  hard-hearted  man,  with  tears  in  his  eyes  entreated 
my  ancestor  to  say  the  word  'abrenuncio.'  The  minis- 
ter, however,  not  only  refused,  but  called  out  '  Non 
abrenuncio.'  In  the  same  manner  I  now  stand  opposite 
to  you  and  repeat  the  same  words — '  Non  abrenuncio.' 
This  is  the  rapport  between  us.  Would  you  treat  me 
as  the  cardinal  did  my  ancestor  ?" 

Countess  Angela  tapped  her  fan  upon  her  knee  as  she 
whispered  between  her  small  white  teeth,  and  with  a 
cruel  smile  upon  her  lips : 


RITTER    MAGNET  183 

"  What  a  pity  that  those  da3-s  are  past!  If  I  were  in 
the  place  of  my  ancestor  I  would  order  you  to  have  iron 
goads  driven  under  your  nails." 

At  this  formidable  threat  Ivan  burst  out  laughing. 
After  a  minute  Angela  followed  his  example  and 
laughed  also. 

It  was  rather  a  bold  experiment  to  meet  the  young 
beauty's  wrath  with  a  burst  of  laughter,  but  it  was  a 
good  answer  to  her  foolish  speech.  The  countess  felt 
now  that  she  had  given  cause  for  laughter ;  but  she  was 
offended,  nevertheless,  and  with  a  haughty  look  at  the 
offender  she  seated  herself. 

Ivan  did  not  move  from  her  side.  A  cotillon,  even 
though  it  be  the  "  Hungarian,"  has  its  uses.  One 
partner  cannot  leave  the  other  if  they  wish  to  sep- 
arate. 

In  the  meantime  a  young  man,  one  of  the  stupid  per- 
sons of  society,  came  to  Ivan  and  whispered  in  his  ear 
that  Edmund  sent  him  to  say  he  should  return  to  his 
game  ;  the  luck  had  changed,  and  the  heap  of  gold  Ivan 
had  left  was  lost. 

"  Tell  him  he  has  done  well,"  returned  Ivan  ;  and  he 
took  his  pocket-book  from  his  breast-pocket  and  handed 
it  to  the  messenger.  "  Tell  him  to  make  use  of  what  is 
in  this,"  he  said,  "and  lose  it,  if  necessary."  And  he 
remained  where  he  was. 

Angela  never  turned  her  head  to  him  again.  The 
cotillon  lasted  a  long  time ;  Count  Geza,  who  led  it, 
wished  to  show  that  the  Hungarian  presented  as  many 
opportunities  for  new  figures  as  the  German  cotillon, 
and  the  demonstration  lasted  two  hours.  Ivan  remained 
to  the  end,  although  Angela  preserved  her  cold  silence. 
When  they  had  to  join  in  the  waltz  circle  she  leaned  on 
his  shoulder,  her  fingers  pressed  his,  her  breath  touched 


184  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

his  face  ;  when  she  returned  to  her  place  she  resumed 
her  coldness,  and  kept  her  head  steadily  averted. 

When  the  cotillon  was  over  Edmund  brought  Ivan 
the  news  that  this  long  dance  had  cost  him  a  thousand 
gulden.  Ivan  shrugged  his  shoulders,  as  if  the  loss 
didn't  concern  him. 

"Wonderful  man  !"  thought  Edmund.  Presently  he 
said  to  his  cousin  : 

'•  It  seems  that  you  kept  Ritter  Magnet  all  to  yourself, 
my  pretty  cousin." 

Angela  raised  her  white  shoulder  to  him,  while  she 
said,  angrily  : 

"  This  man  has  bored  me  for  a  long  time." 

From  the  moment  that  these  words  were  spoken  by 
the  queen  of  fashion  a  marked  change  took  place  in  the 
opinion  of  the  world  as  to  Ivan's  merits.  He  was  no 
longer  considered  a  capital  fellow,  but  was  looked  upon 
as  a  pushing  parveniL  Angela  said  nothing  more,  but 
this  one  sentence  conveyed  much.  There  are  men  of 
low  origin  whose  own  vanity  misinterprets  the  true  mean- 
ing of  the  condescension  shown  to  them  by  those  above 
them  in  station,  and  by  so  doing  make  terrible  mistakes 
which  must  be  punished.  Such  hold  par7'en7is  must  be 
taught  to  curb  their  wishes.  Ivan  was  counted  as  one 
of  these.  The  foolish  man  had  imao^ined  that  a  hioh- 
born  lady,  a  Bondavara,  because  she  was  patriotic,  w^ould, 
forsooth,  stoop  to  such  as  he ;  he  had  mistaken  her 
graciousness  for  the  encouragement  she  might  give  to 
one  of  her  own  class.  He  must  be  ostracized,  and  that 
speedily. 

The  signal  had  been  given  by  those  words  of  the 
countess's:  "  He  has  for  a  long  time  bored  me."  The 
first  means  taken  under  such  circumstances  is  to  make 
the  offender  ridiculous.     This  can  be  done  in  different 


RITTER    MAGNET  185 

ways.  The  victim  remarks  that  his  weak  points  are  held 
up,  that  he  is  never  left  in  peace,  that  he  is  perpetually 
placed  in  situations  which  are  arranged  to  make  him  a 
laughing-stock.  Not  that  any  one  is  rude  enough  to 
laugh  at  him  openly;  on  the  contrary,  they  are  most 
polite  to  him,  but  it  is  a  politeness  that  provokes  laugh- 
ter. He  soon  finds  that  no  one  is  his  friend,  no  one 
makes  any  intimacy  with  him,  although  no  one  actually 
insults  him ;  but  if  he  is  a  man  of  any  intelligence  he 
soon  feels  that  he  is  not  one  of  the  society,  and  that  his 
best  part  will  be  to  take  his  hat  and  go. 

This  happened  now  to  Ivan,  but  his  habitual  phlegm 
did  not  desert  him;  he  understood  the  situation,  and 
was  determined  to  stand  his  ground  to  the  bitter  end. 
He  was  invited  to  take  part  in  an  amateur  opera,  made 
up  of  most  aristocratic  personages ;  it  was  done  on  pur- 
pose to  subject  him  to  a  mortilication.  He  was  given 
the  7-ble  of  the  "  King."  He  made  a  sensation ;  his  voice 
was  a  fine,  melodious  bass.  Angela  was  the  "  Elvira  "  ; 
Salista,  "Ernani";  but  the  "  King"  was  the  favorite. 

"The  devil  is  in  the  man,"  growled  the  marquis. 
"  He  has  been  an  actor.  Til  bet." 

On  another  occasion  he  was  invited  to  a  fox-hunt  at 
Count  Stefan's  splendid  hunting-seat  near  Pesth.  The 
elite  of  the  country  round  gathered  at  these  hunts,  w^hich 
took  place  in  the  beginning  of  the  season.  It  was  ar- 
ranged that  Ivan  should  be  mounted  on  a  fiery  Arabian. 
This  was  considered  a  great  joke.  It  would  be  such  fun 
to  see  the  quiet  book-worm  in  the  saddle;  he  would  have 
to  cling  on,  for  the  Arabian  would  hardly  allow  his 
owner  to  ride.  It  would  be  rare  sport.  But  here  was 
another  disappointment ;  Ivan  sat  the  fiery  racer  as  if  he 
had  grown  in  the  saddle.  When  Salista  saw  him  mounted, 
he  muttered  between  his  teeth : 


l86  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"The  devil  is  in  the  fellow,  I  would  take  abet  he 
has  been  a  hussar." 

Countess  Angela  took  part  in  the  first  run  at  Count 
Stefan's.  She  sat  her  horse  splendidly  ;  she  was  quite 
at  home  in  the  field. 

About  ten  sportsmen  drew  the  first  cover;  the  hounds 
had  the  fox  out  of  the  bushes,  and  the  cavalcade  rode 
after  Renard,  who  took  his  course  over  a  slope  of  a  hill, 
which  was  divided  by  a  cleft  in  the  rock,  at  the  "bottom 
of  which  ran  a  mountain  stream.  The  fox  took  refuge  in 
this  cleft;  he  probably  thought  he  might  find  there  an 
empty  fox-hole,  into  which  he  might  sneak.  In  any  case 
he  might  escape  by  the  skin  of  his  teeth,  as  the  horses 
could  not  venture  to  follow  him.  It  was  a  chance,  for  if 
the  dogs  hunted  him  out  of  the  burrow  he  could  make 
tracks  by  the  right-hand  side.    The  hunt  was  on  the  left. 

"  Forward !"  cried  the  daring  Countess  Angela,  and 
put  her  horse  to  leap  the  cleft. 

It  was  a  breakneck  jump.  How  many  will  risk  their 
lives  to  follow  her  ?  When  she  reached  the  other  side 
she  turned  and  looked  back.  Ivan  was  beside  her.  The 
dogs  pursued  the  fox,  who  had  taken  to  the  stream ;  the 
rest  of  the  hunt  galloped  along  the  left  side  of  the  chasm. 
Angela  thought  as  little  about  them  as  they  did  of  her. 
In  every  one's  mind  there  was  only  one  idea — the  fox. 
The  countess  rode  at  the  very  edge  of  the  chasm,  taking 
no  heed  of  the  dizzy  height  she  was  on  and  the  danger- 
ous depths  into  which  one  false  step  of  her  horse  might 
precipitate  her.  She  followed  poor  Renard,  who  was 
seeking  an  outlet,  distracted  as  he  was  by  his  pursuers. 
Suddenly  he  rushed  out  through  the  riders  on  the  left 
bank  and  took  to  the  woods. 

"After  him!  Tally  ho!"  resounded  along  the  hill- 
side, and  soon  fox,  dogs,  and   horsemen  were    lost  to 


RITTER    MAGNET  1 87 

Angela's  sight.  At  once  she  turned  her  horse's  bridle  ; 
she  made  for  a  short-cut  through  the  mountain,  over 
which  she  meant  to  jump  her  horse,  and  so  join  the 
hunt  without  loss  of  time.  She  never  looked  back  to 
see  if  Ivan  followed  her,  but  galloped  up  the  steep 
mountain-side,  sitting  her  horse  in  splendid  style.  At 
the  turn  of  the  path  a  hare  suddenly  broke  from  the 
cover  under  the  horse's  feet.  The  animal  shied,  and 
swerved  violently  to  one  side,  throwing  the  countess  out 
of  the  saddle.  In  the  fall  the  long  skirt  of  her  habit  got 
entangled  in  the  saddle  and  kept  her  fastened  to  the 
horse.  Her  head  hung,  with  all  her  hair  streaming  on 
the  ground.  The  frightened  horse  ran  towards  the 
crevice  ;  if  he  dragged  his  rider  down  its  side  her  head 
would  be  battered  to  pieces  by  the  trunks  of  the  trees. 
Ivan  fortunately  caught  his  bridle  in  time.  He  freed 
the  foolhardy  rider  from  the  saddle  ;  she  was  uncon- 
scious. Ivan  laid  her  upon  the  soft  turf,  and  pillowed 
her  head  upon  the  stump  of  a  moss-grown  tree.  Then 
he  saw  how  the  fall  had  disarranged  her  dress.  The 
malachite  buttons  had  come  off  the  body  of  her  habit, 
and  the  bodice  was  treacherously  open.  Ivan  drew 
from  his  necktie  his  breast-pin,  and  with  it  closed  the 
countess's  corselet. 

When  Angela  came  to  herself  she  was  alone.  Both 
the  horses  were  tied  to  a  tree  by  their  bridles.  In  the 
distance  through  the  gathering  mist  she  saw  a  man  com- 
ing towards  her  from  the  valley  below.  It  was  Ivan, 
who  had  gone  to  fill  his  hunting-flask  with  water.  The 
countess  rose  at  once  to  her  feet  ;  she  needed  no  help. 
Ivan  offered  her  the  water ;  she  thanked  him,  but  said 
she  was  quite  herself.     Ivan  threw  the  water  away. 

"  I  think  it  would  be  well  if  you  were  to  return  to  the 
castle." 


l88  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  I  will  do  SO." 

"  It  is  not  far.  I  know  a  short  way  through  the  wood. 
We  can  lead  the  horses." 

"Very  well,"  returned  the  countess,  submissively. 
But  when  she  looked  at  her  dress  and  saw  how  it  was 
fastened  a  hot  blush  covered  her  face.  When  she  was 
in  the  shade  of  the  wood  she  turned  to  Ivan,  and  said, 
suddenly,  "Have  you  ever  heard  of  Julia  Gonzaga .'"' 

"  No,  countess." 

"  She  was  the  Chatelaine  of  Fondi.  Barbarossa  had 
surprised  Fondi  in  the  night  and  carried  off  Julia.  A 
noble  knight  came  to  her  rescue,  and  she  escaped  with 
him  from  the  freebooter.  It  was  in  the  night,  and  she 
had  to  ride  barefooted,  for  she  had  just  risen  from  her 
couch.  Do  you  know  how  she  rewarded  her  deliverer  ? 
She  stabbed  him  through  the  heart  with  the  first  dagger 
that  came  to  her  hand." 

"And  she  did  right,"  returned  Ivan.  "A  strange 
man  should  not  have  seen  her  naked  feet." 

"  And  the  man  ?"  asked  Angela. 

"  Ah,  poor  fellow  !  he  had  the  misfortune  of  enjoying 
too  much  happiness." 


CHAPTER    XIII 
ONLY  A  TRIFLE 

The  fox  was  taken.  Out  of  the  far  distance  a  trium- 
phant "  Halali !"  was  heard,  and  then  the  horn  sounded 
to  collect  the  scattered  members  of  the  hunt.  Countess 
Angela  and  her  escort  were  by  this  time  at  the  border 
of  the  wood.  Ivan  sounded  his  horn  in  answer  to  the 
summons,  and  to  show  the  others  that  they  were  already 
on  their  way  home.  They  arrived  at  the  castle  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour  before  the  rest  of  the  company.  Then 
they  separated,  and  did  not  meet  again  until  supper- 
time.  The  huntsmen  spent  the  interval  talking  over  the 
day's  exploits,  and  the  ladies  were  occupied  with  their 
toilettes. 

Countess  Angela  told  her  aunt  what  had  hnppened. 
She  was  incapable  of  any  sort  of  deceit.  Lies,  which 
come  so  easily  to  the  lips  of  some  women,  were  impos- 
sible to  her.  If  she  did  not  tell  a  thing  she  kept  silent; 
but  to  speak  what  was  not  true — never !  But  what  if 
Ivan  related  to  the  men  what  had  occurred  ?  It  was  so 
much  the  habit  to  talk  over  the  day's  sport,  and  make 
a  jest  of  everything.  Wh}'-  should  he  not  make  capital 
of  such  an  adventure  —  a  rescued  lady  —  a  beauty  in 
deshabille  ^ 

When  supper  -  time  came  it  struck  every  one  that  the 
countess  had  a  constrained  manner,  and  closer  observers 
noticed  that  she  avoided   looking   at   Ivan.     She  was 


I  go  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

dressed  all  in  black,  which  was,  perhaps,  the  reason 
that  she  was  so  pale.  She  was  silent  and  preoccupied  ; 
she  was  wondering  if  they  all  knew  what  Ivan  knew. 
The  gentlemen  tried  to  amuse  her.  They  were  full  of 
the  day's  run,  how  the  fox  had  doubled,  how  they 
thought  they  would  never  catch  him,  how  they  regretted 
that  the  countess  had  not  been  present,  how  unfortu- 
nate it  was  that  she  had  been  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  mountain,  but  that  it  was  far  better  for  her  to  have 
lost  the  run  than  to  have  ventured  to  leap  the  crevice. 
That  would,  indeed,  have  been  madness;  an  accident 
would  certainly  have  been  the  result.  No  one  alluded 
to  the  fact  that  she  had  met  an  ugly  one  ;  but,  then,  well- 
bred  people  never  do  allude  to  anything  unpleasant, 
which,  though  otherwise  agreeable,  has  this  drawback, 
that  one  never  knows  how  much  or  how  little  they 
know. 

It  was  a  remark  of  her  cousin  Edmund  that  convinced 
Angela  eventually  that  Ivan  had  kept  his  own  counsel 
as  to  her  accident. 

"  Did  Behrend  accompany  )^ou  to  the  house  ?"  he 
asked.  (No  one  now  called  him  Ritter  Magnet,  nor 
were  there  any  familiar  jokes  with  him). 

"  Yes." 

"  And  his  escort  was  not  agreeable  to  you  ?" 

"What  makes  you  say  that?"  inquired  Angela, 
hastily. 

"  From  Ivan's  manner  ;  he  seems  terribly  down  in  his 
luck.  He  hasn't  a  word  to  say  to  a  dog,  and  he  avoids 
looking  at  you.  Don't  you  remark  it  ?  You  have,  I 
think,  made  the  place  too  hot  for  him  ;  he  won't  stay 
longer.     Have  I  guessed  right?" 

"  Yes,  quite  right." 

"  Shall  I  give  him  a  hint  to  go  ?" 


ONLY    A    TRIFLE  IQI 

"  Do,  for  my  sake  ;  but  without  harshness.  I  will  not 
have  him  offended." 

"Do  you  think  I  am  such  a  bungler?  I  have  an  ex- 
cellent plan  to  get  him  away  quietly." 

"  You  must  tell  me  what  it  is.  I  am  not  vexed  with 
the  man,  only  he  bores  me.  Do  you  understand  .'*  I 
won't  have  him  driven  away  by  any  of  you  ;  but  if  he 
goes  by  his  own  free  choice,  I  should  be  glad  if  he  were 
at  the  antipodes." 

"Well,  I  have  no  objection  to  tell  you  what  I  mean  to 
do.  This  man  is  a  scholar,  a  philosopher,  as  you  know. 
He  holds  very  different  opinions  from  us  who  live  in  the 
world.  For  one  thing,  he  abhors  duelling.  Don't  spoil 
your  pretty  face  by  frowning.  I  am  not  going  to  call 
him  out,  neither  is  any  one  else,  so  far  as  I  know;  that 
would  be  a  stupid  joke.  But  this  evening,  in  the  smok- 
ing-room, Salista  and  I  will  get  up  a  dispute  about  some 
trifle  or  another ;  the  end  of  it  v^^ill  be  a  challenge.  I 
will  ask  Behrend  and  Geza  to  be  my  seconds.  Now, 
what  will  happen  ?  If  Behrend  refuses,  which  is  most 
likely,  he  will  have  to  withdraw  from  our  party — that  is 
the  etiquette — and  we  will  have  nothing  more  to  say  to 
him.  If,  on  the  contrary,  he  accepts,  then  the  other 
seconds  will  manage  to  fall  out  about  the  arrangements 
of  our  meeting — Salista's  and  mine — and  the  regular 
consequence  of  such  a  falling  out  is  that  the  seconds 
challenge  one  another ;  then  our  philosopher  packs  up 
his  traps,  thanks  us  for  our  hospitality,  goes  back  to 
brew  his  gas.  He  doesn't  fight,  not  he ;  for  I  hold  that, 
although  it  is  within  the  bounds  of  possibility  that  even 
a  philosopher,  if  deeply  insulted,  may  have  recourse  to 
his  pistol  to  punish  the  offender,  yet,  when  it  is  a  matter 
of  pure,  worldly  etiquette,  it  is  only  your  born  gentleman 
who  will  stand  up  in  a  duel." 


192  ELACK    DIAMONDS 

"  But  suppose  he  does  consent  to  fight  this  duel  ?" 

"Then  my  plot  has  failed.  We  should  then  have  a 
sort  of  court-martial,  and  it  would  have  to  decide  that 
no  offence  was  meant  and  none  given.  We  would  all 
shake  hands,  and  the  little  comedy  would  be  at  an 
end." 

Angela  yawned,  as  if  weary  of  the  subject.  "  Do  as 
you  like,"  she  said.  "  But  take  care.  This  man  can 
show  his  teeth  ;  he  can  bite." 

"Leave  that  to  me." 

That  evening  at  supper  the  conversation  was  pur- 
posely turned  on  duelling,  for  the  purpose  of  convincing 
Angela  that  Ivan's  views  on  the  subject  were  sound  as 
regarded  his  own  safety.  The  opportunity  offered,  for 
the  latest  event  in  fashionable  life  was  a  duel,  in  which 
the  only  son  of  a  well-known  and  distinguished  family 
had  lost  his  life  for  some  silly  dispute  about  a  trifle. 

"  I  hold  the  duel  to  be  not  merely  a  mistake,  but  a 
crime,"  said  Ivan.  "  It  is  flying  in  the  face  of  God  to 
take  the  law  into  our  own  hands.  The  Te  Deiim  which 
the  conqueror  sings  over  his  murderous  act  is  a  dis- 
grace ;  it  cries  to  Heaven  for  vengeance.  The  appeal 
to  weapons  as  satisfaction  is  likewise  an  offence  against 
society,  for  it  hinders  the  possibility  of  telling  the  truth. 
The  man  who  tells  us  our  faults  openly  to  our  face  is  a 
benefactor,  but  by  the  present  laws  of  society  we  are 
bound  to  challenge  him,  and  to  kill  him  if  we  can  ;  we 
have  no  other  course,  so  it  must  be  false  compliments  or 
the  duello." 

Edmund  continued  the  discussion.  "  I  take  a  differ- 
ent view  of  the  matter,"  he  said.  "  If  duelling  were  not 
a  law  of  society  it  would  be  in  a  sense  a  denial  of  God's 
mercy,  for  if  you  look  at  it  in  this  way  it  cannot  be  de- 
nied that  one  man  is  weak,  another  man  strong,  and  that 


ONLY    A    TRIFLE  193 

this  is  a  decree  of  Providence.  The  result  of  this  differ- 
ence in  many  instances  would  be  that  the  weaker  would 
be  the  slave  of  the  stronger,  who  could  box  his  ears,  in- 
sult him,  and  all  the  law  would  give  him  would  be,  per- 
haps, a  couple  of  pounds.  This  chasm  between  the  law 
of  God  and  the  law  of  man  is  filled  by  the  pistol-ball, 
which  puts  the  strong  and  the  weak  on  the  same  level. 
The  pistol  is  not  a  judge,  for  it  often  decides  the  cause 
unjustly.  Nevertheless,  this  unwritten  law,  and  the  re- 
spect, not  to  say  fear,  it  infuses,  has  a  salutary  effect,  and 
makes  it  impossible  for  the  bully  to  tyrannize  over  a  man 
of  more  education  but  less  physical  strength. 

"  But  that  it  should  be  so  is  a  crime  of  society,"  an- 
swered Ivan.  "A  false  sentiment  of  honor  has  dictated 
this  law.  The  world  has  no  right  to  make  such  a  rule  ; 
it  should  honor  those  equally,  be  they  poor  or  rich,  well- 
born or  humble,  who  keep  the  law  of  the  land  as  it  is 
constituted.  But  what  does  society  do .''  If  a  gentle- 
man gets  a  box  on  the  ear  from  another,  and  does  not 
immediately  demand  satisfaction  for  the  insult,  and, 
nolens  volens^  make  himself  a  target  to  be  shot  at  by 
perhaps  a  better  marksman  than  himself,  w^hat  happens  } 
He  is  at  once  dishonored ;  society  ostracizes  him.  The 
world,  if  it  pretend  to  any  justice  in  the  matter,  should 
reform  this  absurd  principle,  and  punish  the  man  who 
has  given  the  first  offence.  Then  society,  and  not  a 
leaden  ball,  would  be  judge." 

"That  is  all  very  fine  in  theory,  my  dear  sir;  but 
I  ask  you,  as  a  man  of  honor,  to  put  yourself  in  the 
position  in  which,  for  some  reason  or  another,  you  find 
it  necessary  to  have  satisfaction  for  an  affront." 

"  I  could  not  imagine  myself  placed  in  any  such  posi- 
tion," Ivan  answered,  quietly.  "  I  offend  no  one  inten- 
tionally, and  should  I  do  so  inadvertently,  I  would  at 


194  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

once  apologize.  I  give  no  man  the  opportunity  to  as- 
perse my  honor,  and  if  he  were  foolish  enough  to  do  so 
I  would  call  upon  those  who  know,  and  I  should  deem 
myself  indeed  unfortunate  if  they  did  not  clear  me  of 
any  such  accusation," 

"  But  suppose  the  honor  of  some  one  near  and  dear 
to  you  were  attacked?" 

"  I  have  no  one  who  stands  to  me  in  that  close  re- 
lationship." 

This  last  remark  cut  short  the  discussion.  Never- 
theless, before  many  hours  had  passed  the  Marquis 
Salista  proved  to  Ivan  that  there  was  one  person  whose 
good  name  was  dear  to  him. 

It  was  at  supper,  and  Angela  was  present.  The  mar- 
quis was  entertaining  her  with  anecdotes  of  the  revolu- 
tion, in  which  he  had  taken  part.  He  was  bragging 
fearfully  that  when  he  was  lieutenant  of  the  cuirassiers 
he  performed  prodigies.  At  the  battle  of  Izsasseg,  with 
only  a  handful  of  men,  he  routed  the  entire  regiment 
of  Lehel  Hussars,  and  at  Alt  Gzoney  he  cut  the  Wilhelm 
Hussars  to  pieces,  and  didn't  spare  a  man. 

Not  a  feature  in  Ivan's  face  moved.  He  listened 
silently  to  these  wonderful  tales.  Angela  at  last  grew 
weary  of  all  this  boasting  and  glorification  of  the  Austri- 
ans  over  the  degraded  Hungarians  ;  she  turned  to  Ivan, 
and  put  to  him  a  direct  question  : 

"Is  this  all  true?" 

Ivan  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "What  can  I,  a  poor 
miner  who  lives  underground,  know  of  what  goes  on  on 
the  surface  of  the  great  earth?" 

Angela  need  not  have  anxiety  about  him.  He  is  a  phi- 
losopher, and  there  is  no  fear  he  will  go  too  near  the  fire. 

After  supper  the  company  separated ;  Count  Stefan, 
with  Countess  Theudelinde  and  some  other  ladies,  went 


ONLY    A    TRIFLE  I95 

into  the  drawing-room.  The  moon  shone  through  the 
bow- windows.  The  countess  phiyed  the  piano,  and 
Angela  came  and  spoke  to  Ivan. 

"Here  is  your  pin,"  she  said.  "You  know  the  old 
superstition  —  a  present  of  sharp-pointed  instruments 
dissolves  friendship,  and  those  who  wish  to  be  friends 
never  give  them  ?" 

"  But,"  answered  Ivan,  smiling,  "  the  superstition  pro- 
vides an  antidote  which  breaks  the  spell.  Both  friend's 
must  laugh  over  the  present." 

"  Ah,  that  is  why  you  laughed  when  I  spoke  of  the 
iron  goads.  There,  take  back  your  pin,  and  let  us  laugh 
for  superstition's  sake  !" 

And  they  laughed  together,  because  it  was  a  super- 
stition so  to  do.  Then  Angela  went  out  on  the  bal- 
cony, and  took  counsel  from  the  soft  air  of  the  summer's 
evening;  she  leaned  over  the  balustrade,  waiting  for 
Couat  Edmund,  who  had  promised  to  bring  her  the  first 
news  of  how  the  plot  had  worked. 

The  gentlemen  stayed  late  in  the  smoking-room;  the 
night  is  their  time  for  enjoying  themselves,  so  Angela 
had  a  long  vigil.  The  moon  had  long  disappeared  be- 
hind the  high  tops  of  the  poplar -trees  before  Angela 
heard  Edmund's  step  coming  through  the  drawing-room 
to  the  bow-window.  The  ladies  were  still  playing  the 
piano  ;  they  could  talk  unreservedly. 

"  Well,  what  has  happened  .^"  asked  Angela. 

Edmund  was  agitated.  "Our  trifle  has  turned  out  a 
rank  piece  of  folly,"  he  said,  crossly. 

"How?" 

"I  should  not  tell  you,  Angela,  but  the  situation  is 
such  that  it  would  be  wrong  to  coilceal  anything  from 
you.  We  had  it  all  arranged  just  as  I  told  you.  When 
we  were  in  the  smoking-room  we   began  to  play  our 


196  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

practical  joke.  Some  one  said  how  pleased  you  seemed 
to  be  with  Hungary — " 

"Oh,  how  stupid  of  you!"  said  Angela,  angrily. 

"I  know  now  it  was  a  stupid  thing  to  do.  I  wish  I 
had  seen  it  before;  but  it  always  happens  the  knowl- 
edge comes  too  late." 

"What  business  had  you,  or  any  one,  to  mention  my 
name  ?     I  gave  no  permission  to  have  it  done." 

"I  know,  I  know  ;  but  in  men's  society,  unfortunately, 
no  one  asks  a  lady's  permission  to  mention  her  name. 
It  was  only  a  joke.  It  had  been  settled  among  us  that 
I,  being  your  cousin,  should  protest  against  this  chatter 
in  connection  with  your  name  ;  then  Salista  was  to  say 
that  he  knew  well  that  what  kept  you  in  Pesth  was  the 
fine  eyes  of  a  certain  gentleman,  that  I  was  to  get  angr}^ 
and  forbid  him  to  say  any  more,  and  that  then  we  should 
get  up  the  mock  duel." 

Angela  was  trembling  with  anger,  but,  anxious  to  hear 
more,  she  controlled  herself  with  difficulty. 

"  I  never  heard  such  a  childish  joke,"  she  said.  "  It 
was  a  college  trick." 

"It  would  have  been  good  for  us  all  if  it  had  ended 
like  a  college  trick.  When  I  told  you  that  we  had  pre- 
pared a  trick  you  approved  of  it,  Angela;  you  know 
you  did.  None  of  us  thought  for  a  moment  that  it 
would  end  as  it  has  done.  Behrend  was  sitting  at  the 
chess-table  ;  Salista  was  opposite  to  him,  leaning  against 
the  chimney-piece.  After  Salista  had  said  the  words, 
'  I  know  that  a  certain  pair  of  eyes  keeps  Countess  An- 
gela in  Pesth,'  and  before  I  had  time  to  make  the  an- 
swer agreed  upon,  Ivan  threw  down  the  gauntlet.  '  That 
is  a  lie !'  he  said." 

"  Ah  !"  cried  Angela,  while  an  electric  thrill  ran  through 
her  veins. 


ONLY   A    TRIFLE  197 

"  We  all  sprang  to  our  feet ;  the  joke  had  ended  bad- 
ly. Salista  grew  pale;  he  had  not  counted  upon  this. 
'Sir,'  he  said  to  Behrend,  'take  back  that  word  of 
yours  ;  it  is  a  word  that  in  my  life  no  man  has  said 
to  me."  " 

"  And    Behrend  ?"    asked    Angela,  seizing   Edmund's 

hand. 

"Behrend  stood  up  from  the  table,  and  answered 
quietly,  in  a  cold  voice,  '  It  is  possible  that  up  to  the 
present  you  have  given  no  occasion  for  this  reproach  to 
be  cast  in  your  face  ;  but  to-night  I  repeat  that  you  have 
lied.'  Then  he  left  the  room.  I  ran  after  him  to  try 
and  smooth  down  matters.  I  met  him  in  the  hall.  He 
turned  to  me  and  said,  quietly,  '  My  dear  friend,  you 
know  what  must  now  happen.  I  beg  that  you  will  ask 
Count  Geza  in  my  name,  and  that  you  and  he  will  be 
my  seconds.  You  will  communicate  to  me  what  has 
been  settled  ;  all  is  in  your  hands.'  In  this  way  he  in- 
vited me  to  play  the  part  which  I  had  destined  for  him. 
Now  he  is  the  duellist,  and  I  am  the  second.  I  tried  to 
drive  him  into  a  corner.  I  represented  to  him  that  it 
was  not  his  right  to  throw  down  the  gauntlet  for  the 
Countess  Angela.  He  answered,  '  It  is  the  right  and 
the  duty  of  every  gentleman  to  protect  the  lady  whose 
guest  he*is.'  This  answer,  from  a  chivalrous  point  of 
view,  is  perfectly  correct,  but  it  sounds  strangely  from 
the  lips  of  the  man  who  a  couple  of  hours  ago  told  us 
there  was  no  one  in  the  world  for  whose  good  name  he 
would  fight  a  duel." 

Angela  sank  back  in  her  chair.  "  Oh,  what  terrible 
folly  it  has  all  been  !"  she  wailed.  "  No,  no,  this  duel 
cannot  be  !     I  shall  prevent  it !" 

"  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  what  means  you  intend  to 
take  to  prevent  it." 


198  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  I  will  at  once  speak  with  Ivan  Behrend — this  mo- 
ment ;  do  you  hear  ?■' 

"  Unfortunately,  that  is  impossible.  When  he  left  me 
he  gave  the  order  to  put  his  horses  to.  There,  you  hear 
those  wheels  .'*  That  is  his  carriage.  Geza  has  gone 
with  him,  and  we  four  are  to  follow  him  presently.  One 
cannot  arrange  this  sort  of  thing  in  a  strange  house  ; 
that  is  done  only  on  the  stage.  The  principals  must 
wait  in  their  own  houses  to  hear  what  we  have  decided 
to  do." 

"  But,  my  God  !  I  will  not  let  it  be  done  ;  do  you 
hear  ?     I  will  speak  to  Uncle  Stefan." 

"I  have  told  you  everything,  so  that  our  sudden  de- 
parture should  not  surprise  you  ;  but  I  can  tell  you 
exactly  what  Count  Stefan  will  say — that  no  fuss  must 
be  made  ;  let  the  whole  thing  be  done  quickly  and 
quietly.  The  seconds,  too,  must  act  with  great  pru- 
dence, and  not  irritate  the  principals  by  much  delay." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  saying  the  seconds  should 
act  with  prudence  ?" 

"  So  far  as  depends  upon  them  they  must  determine 
the  issue  of  the  duel,  and  either  soften  or  accentuate 
the  conditions  according  to  circumstances.  In  this  case 
we  will  soften.  Your  name  will  not  appear  as  the  cause 
of  the  challenge.  We  will  induce  Behrend  to  say  that 
he  used  the  word  '  lie '  in  connection  with  Salista's  ex- 
pressions concerning  the  Hungarian  troops.  This  plau- 
sible ground  for  a  challenge  will  be  accepted  as  sufficient 
by  both  sides,  and  in  this  way  your  name  need  never  be 
mentioned." 

"But  I  do  not  care!  What  does  that  matter?  If 
any  one  is  killed  for  my  sake — " 

"  Compose  yourself,  my  dear  cousin  ;  the  seconds  will 
be  prudent,     We  shall  place  them  thirty  feet  apart,  and 


ONLY    A    TRIFLE  I99 

give  them  worn-out  pistols  with  which,  at  half  the  dis- 
tance, the  aim  would  be  uncertain  ;  then  we  shall  not 
allow  them  to  take  aim  more  than  a  minute,  and  you 
may  be  certain  if  they  were  both  as  thick  as  an  elephant 
and  protected  like  robin  red-breasts  they  couldn't  be 
safer  ;  they  may  fire  away  for  hours  and  never  hit  one 
another.  Now,  my  dear  child,  be  sensible,  I  beg  of  you. 
When  you  have  a  husband  he  will  have  many  an  affair 
of  this  kind  upon  his  hands,  and  all  for  your  beautiful 
eyes.  But  I  must  be  going,  the  carriage  is  at  the  door, 
and  we  start  at  daylight." 

And  Edmund  took  himself  off  with  a  hasty  good-bye. 

This  little  joke  had  spoiled  all  the  sport.  The  loss  of 
six  men  made  it  impossible  to  continue  hunting  the  next 
day;  therefore  every  one  resolved  to  return  to  Pesth  in 
the  morning.  The  night  was  disturbed.  The  com- 
panion of  the  Countess  Angela,  who  slept  in  her  room, 
told  everyone  that  her  mistress  had  hardly  slept  a  wink, 
that  she  was  constantly  getting  up  and  lighting  the 
candle,  saying  that  it  must  be  daylight  and  time  to  set 
off  for  the  city. 

The  next  morning,  at  ten  o'clock,  when  all  the  guests 
had  left,  and  Countess  Theudelinde  and  her  suite  were 
already  in  Pesth,  Countess  Angela  went  to  her  room, 
and  walked  up  and  down  restlessly  until  about  eleven 
o'clock,  when  Count  Edmund  was  announced. 

He  came  in  pale  and  disturbed,  and  Angela,  who  tried 
to  read  his  face,  concluded  that  something  had  hap- 
pened. 

"  I-n  God's  name,  what  is  it  ?"  she  asked.  "  Who  is 
hmtr 

"No  one,"  replied  Edmund,  dryly.;  "but  the  affair  is 
in  a  worse  state  than  it  was." 

"  Has  the  duel  taken  place  ?" 


200  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"Yes  and  no.     It  has  begun,  but  is  not  finished.'* 

"I  do  not  understand." 

"  I  own  it  is  something  quite  new.  I  have  never 
known  such  a  thing  in  my  experience.  If  you  wish,  I 
will  tell  you  all  about  it." 

"  Oh,  for  Heaven's  sake,  do  !" 

*'As  agreed,  I  called  at  Behrend's  house  at  six  o'clock 
to  fetch  him;  Geza  went  on  with  the  doctor.  When  we 
got  to  Lassloosky,  Salista  was  just  getting  out  of  his 
carriage.  Ivan  lifted  his  cap  and  wished  him  good- 
morning;  he  probably  did  not  know  that  this  is  not 
usual.  The  principals  never  greet  one  another.  Salista 
did  not  return  his  bow,  although  he  might  have  done  so, 
seeing  that  Ivan  was  evidently  ignorant  of  the  proper 
etiquette.  From  Lassloosky  we  all  drove  together  to 
Leopold's  Field,  where  we  got  out  of  the  carriages  and 
went  on  foot  through  the  forest.  When  we  reached  the 
appointed  place,  a  clearing  in  the  wood,  we  stopped,  and 
the  seconds  on  both  sides  asked  the  principals,  according 
to  precedent,  whether  they  would  not  make  up  their  dif- 
ference. Both  sides  refused.  Upon  which  we  measured 
the  distance,  marked  the  barrier  with  our  pocket-hand- 
kerchiefs, and  loaded  the  pistols.  When  this  was  over, 
the  principals,  who  had  been  pulling  blades  of  grass  and 
standing  about,  took  their  places.  We  handed  them 
their  pistols ;  the  signal  was  given  by  Geza  clapping  his 
hands.  Salista  made  two  steps  forv/ard  and  shot.  Just 
as  I  expected,  he  did  not  hit  his  man.  Ivan  called  out  in 
a  loud  voice,  '  To  the  barrier !'  and  Salista  advanced  to 
where  the  white  pocket-handkerchief  lay,  while  Ivan  went 
to  his  barrier.  Then  he  said,  addressing  Salista,  'You 
did  not  return  my  salutation,  but  if  I  hit  your  head-piece 
you  will  have  to  take  off  your  cap  to  me.'  He  then  took 
aim ;    the  half-minute   during  which  he  held  his  pistol 


ONLY    A    TRIFLE  20I 

showed  US  his  nerve  was  perfect.  The  pistol  went  off, 
and  Salista  stood  opposite  his  adversary  bareheaded;  his 
helmet  lay  two  perches  behind  him,  with  the  gold  rose 
torn  from  its  front." 

"  Ah  !"  cried  Angela. 

"  This  man  shoots  as  well  as  Robin  Hood.  We 
loaded  the  pistols  again,  because,  according  to  the  agree- 
ment, they  were  to  have  three  shots  each." 

"  Three  shots  !"  exclaimed  Angela. 

"  Yes.  We  all  agreed  it  was  better  to  have  the  affair 
on  a  proper  footing,  so  far  as  the  conditions  went.  Thirty 
steps  is  a  great  distance ;  besides,  the  pistols  were  bad. 
In  addition,  both  men  were  wrapped  up  to  the  chin  ;  one 
had  a  black  coat,  the  other  a  dark  gray  military  cloak — 
colors  bad  for  hitting ;  and  both  had  their  shirt-collars 
concealed.  There  was  not  a  point  about  either  that 
would  serve  for  a  target.  But  the  cap  business  had 
changed  the  nature  of  the  whole  affair,  and  made  much 
bad  blood.  It  proved,  for  one  thing,  that  Behrend  was 
a  first-rate  shot,  and  this  put  Salista's  military  spirit  on 
its  metal.  The  barriers  were  withdrawn  for  the  second 
shot.  Salista  took  off  his  gray  cloak,  tied  back  liis  hussar 
jacket,  so  that  his  red  waistcoat  and  white  shirt  stood 
out  clear,  and  instead  of  standing,  as  is  usual  in  a  duel, 
with  one  side  to  3'our  adversar}^,  he  presented  to  him  a 
full  front,  and  this  with  red  and  white,  the  best  colors, 
as  every  one  knows,  for  a  mark.  Yes,  and  while  we  were 
loading  the  pistols,  what  do  you  think  he  did  ?  But 
Salista  is  a  madman  when  he  is  roused!  He  took  his 
cigar-case  out  of  his  pocket,  and  lighted  one  to  show  his 
indifference.  For  the  second  time  it  was  his  turn  to 
begin.  He  took  much  more  pains  than  the  first  time  ;  in 
fact,  he  was  such  a  time  taking  aim  that  we  had  to  call 
to  him  to  shoot.     A^ain  he  missed.     The  leaves  of  the 


202  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

branches  under  which  Ivan  stood  fell  upon  his  head ; 
the  ball  had  gone  into  the  tree." 

Angela  shuddered. 

"  Ivan  now  addressed  his  opponent.  '  Sir,'  he  said, 
'  it  is  not  fitting  that  at  such  a  supreme  moment  as  this 
you  should  smoke  a  cigar.'  Salista  made  no  answer, 
but  stood  fionting  Behrend  ;  his  face  was  slightly  turned 
to  one  side,  and  he  blew  clouds  of  smoke  into  the  air. 
Ivan  raised  his  pistol  for  a  second,  took  deliberate  aim, 
then  a  sharp  report,  and  Salista's  cigar  flew  from  his 
mouth  into  space." 

An  involuntary  smile  spread  over  Angela's  lips,  but  it 
was  gone  in  an  instant,  and  her  face  resumed  its  im- 
movable expression,  as  if  cut  out  of  stone. 

Count  Edmund  went  on.  "  In  a  fury  Salista  threw 
his  pistol  upon  the  ground.  'The  devil  take  me,' he 
cried,  stamping  with  rage, '  if  I  shoot  any  more  with  this 
man  !  He  is  Beelzebub  in  person.  He  has  shot  the 
cap  from  my  head,  the  cigar  from  my  mouth,  and  the 
third  time  he  will  shoot  the  spurs  from  my  boots.  He 
shoots  all  round  me  ;  he  is  like  a  Chinese  juggler.  I 
will  not  shoot  any  more  with  him  ;  that's  fiat !'  His 
seconds  in  vain  tried  to  persuade  him;  he  would  not 
listen  to  them  ;  he  was  furious  ;  he  would  hear  nothing. 
He  wasn't  going  to  be  such  a  fool  as  to  stand  up  there 
to  be  a  mark  for  a  second  William  Tell,  who  would  not 
only  shoot  the  apple  from  his  head,  but  aim  right  at  his 
heart.  If  they  wanted  to  have  a  fair  fight,  with  all  his 
heart — but  let  it  be  with  swords ;  then  one  would  see 
who  was  the  best  man.  We  all  talked  to  him,  told  him 
not  to  play  the  fool,  that  he  must  stand  his  adversary's 
fire  no  matter  where  he  was  shot,  in  his  spur  or  his  head. 
The  duellist  has  no  power  to  refuse ;  he  is  in  the  hands 
of  his  seconds.     At  last  Behrend  got  curious  to  know 


ONLY   A    TRIFLE 


203 


what  the  row  was  about ;  he  called  to  me  and  Geza, 
and  we  had  to  tell  him  that  Salista  would  not  stand 
another  shot,  but  had  demanded  that  the  duel  should 
be  decided  by  swords.  To  our  surprise  Ivan  answered, 
coolly,  '  With  all  my  heart.  Give  us  the  sabres.'  '  Do 
you  consent?'  'I  consent  to  fight  with  scythes  if  he 
wishes.'  So  it  was  agreed.  Salista's  seconds  heard  this 
discussion  with  great  satisfaction  ;  they  were  very  much 
put  out  by  his  outbreak,  it  being  quite  unusual  to 
change  the  weapons  in  a  duel;  and  there  would  have 
been  a  regular  scandal  if  Ivan  had  used  his  right  of  re- 
fusing any  such  alteration  in  the  conditions  under  which 
the  duel  wms  to  be  fought." 

"And  you  have  allowed  such  an  innovation  to  be 
made.-"'  said  Angela,  looking  at  her  cousin  with  con- 
tracted eyebrows. 

"  Certainly,  when  the  challenger  has  agreed  to  it." 

"It  was  shameful  of  you !"  Angela  continued,  with 
suppressed  tears  in  her  voice  —  "ungenerous  to  allow 
such  an  unequal  fight.  One  man  has  practised  fencing 
all  his  life  ;  it  is  his  profession  ;  the  other  has  never  had 
a  sword  in  his  hand." 

"The  fight  will  be  drawn  at  the  first  blood,"  said  Ed- 
mund, in  a  soothing  voice. 

"But  you  had  no  right  to  agree  to  such  a  bloodthirs- 
ty idea ;  you  have  overstepped  your  duty  as  second. 
You  should  have  said  to  Salista's  seconds  that  the  af- 
fair should  conclude  then  or  never." 

"  That  is  quite  true ;  and  we  should  have  done  so, 
only  Behrend  chose  to  interfere." 

"You  should  not  have  allowed  it;  you  could  have 
stopped  it.     When  does  the  duel  take  place  ?" 

"As  we  had  no  swords  we  could  not  fight  this  morn- 
ing.    It  is  against  the  law  to  have  a  duel  in  the  after- 


204  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

noon,  therefore  we  have  postponed  the  second  meeting 
until  to-morrow  at  da3dight." 

"Before  daylight  to-morrow  I  will  put  a  stop  to  the 
duel." 

"  How  so  ?" 

"  I  shall  speak  to  Behrend  ;  I  shall  explain  everything 
to  him." 

"If  you  tell  him  that  this  affair  has  arisen  out  of  a 
joke,  the  result  will  be  that,  instead  of  fighting  a  duel 
with  one  man,  Behrend  will  have  six  duels  on  his  hands." 

"  I  will  tell  him  in  such  a  way  that  he  will  not  ask  to 
fight  with  any  of  you." 

"Then  you  will  have  ruined  Salista." 

"  How  so  ?     What  has  he  to  do  with  it  ?" 

"If  this  half -finished  i-encontre  gets  wind,  and  it 
reaches  the  ears  of  the  authorities  that  an  officer  re- 
fused his  adversary's  third  fire,  Salista  will  have  to 
leave  his  regiment,  he  will  be  received  nowhere,  and  he 
would  have  to  go  back  to  the  pope's  army  as  zouave."" 

"  For  my  part,  I  don't  care  if  he  becomes  the  devil's 
zouave  !  What  do  I  care  about  him  ?  Let  him  go  to 
the  Sultan  of  Dahomey.  He  is  only  fit  to  be  the  gen- 
eral of  his  army.  For  my  part,  he  may  go  quite  to  the 
bad  ;  he  is  half-way  there  already.  But  who  cares  what 
happens  to  him?  /don't.  Your  duty  is  clear;  you 
should  protect  your  man.     Isn't  that  so  ?" 

Edmund  looked  with  astonishment  at  the  excitement 
into  which  the  countess  had  thrown  herself;  she  was 
trembling,  and  her  eyes  gleamed  with  passion. 

"This  is  quite  a  new  view  of  the  affair,"  he  said. 
"  If  you  look  upon  it  in  this  light,  I  must  agree  that  we 
have  been  wrong,  and  you  most  certainly  right.  I  shall 
go  at  once  and  look  for  Geza;  we  will  both  repair  to 
Behrend,  and  tell  him  our  opinion." 


ONLY    A    TRIFLE  205 

He  bowed  low  before  his  cousin,  and  left.  In  an 
hour  he  returned.      He  found  Angela  in  the  same  place. 

"  Well,  what  is  done  ?     Is  it  all  settled  ?" 

*'  Listen.  Geza  and  I  went  to  Ivan.  I  explained  to 
him  that  we  considered  it  our  dut}^  not  to  infringe  the 
conditions  laid  down  in  such  matters,  and  that  we  were 
resolved  not  to  allow  the  duel  with  swords  to  proceed. 
He  pressed  both  our  hands  warmly.  '  I  thank  you,'  he 
said,  'for  the  friendship  you  have  shown  me,  and  since 
your  convictions  will  not  allow  you  to  stand  by  me  in 
this  affair,  I  shall  not  try  to  persuade  you.  I  shall  go 
to  the  nearest  barracks,  the  Karls  Kaserne,  and  I  shall 
tell  the  first  two  officers  I  may  meet  that  I  am  engaged 
in  an  affair  of  honor  to  be  fought  with  swords,  that  I  am 
a  stranger  in  the  town,  and  that  I  throw  myself  upon 
their  kindness  to  be  my  seconds.'  " 

Angela,  with  a  despairing  gesture,  clasped  her  hands 
together. 

"You  said  the  truth,"  continued  Edmund,  "when 
you  prophesied  that  this  man  would  show  his  teeth. 
He  has  the  grip  of  a  bull- dog  when  he  gets  an  idea. 
We  told  him  that  Salista  was  a  celebrated  swordsman. 
He  took  It  quite  coolly.  '  If  the  devil  himself  was  my 
adversary,  I  should  look  him  in  the  face,'  was  all  he 
said." 

Angela  sat  down  and  hid  her  face  in  her  hands. 

"We  had  no  other  course  than  to  assure  him,  so  far 
as  our  services  went,  he  was  free  to  make  use  of  us. 
So  it  was  settled.  We  go  for  him  to-morrow  at  daybreak. 
How  it  will  all  end,  God  only  knows  !" 

With  these  words  Edmund  took  himself  away.  Angela 
never  noticed  he  had  left  the  room. 

That  niiiht  she  never  lav  down.  All  throu2:h  the  Ions: 
hours  of  the   night  she  walked  to  and  fro  in  her  room. 


2o6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

When  fatigue  forced  her  to  sit  down  for  a  moment  she 
could  not  rest.  Once  only  the  thought  that  was  in  her 
mind  found  expression  in  words  : 

"  I  have  treated  him  as  Julia  Gonzaga  treated  the 
man  who  saved  her  life." 

When  daylight  broke  she  threw  herself,  dressed  as 
she  was,  upon  her  bed.  The  maid  next  morning  found 
the  pillow,  in  which  she  had  buried  her  face,  wet  with 
tears. 


CHAPTER   XIV 
THIRTY-THREE    PARTS 

It  must  certainly  be  said  of  our  philosopher  that  he 
was  acting  somewhat  inconsistently.  He  had  left  his 
home  and  property,  where  he  had  lived  a  simple  country 
life  amid  his  own  people,  happy  in  the  study  of  those 
mysterious  powers — fire  and  water;  he  had  abandoned 
all  his  scientific  pursuits  to  belong  to  a  world  to  which 
he  was,  and  must  ever  be,  a  stranger,  feeling  more  or 
less  like  a  fish  upon  dry  land.  Even  his  science  he  had 
turned  into  a  farce,  so  bringing  it  into  disgrace.  He 
had  lent  himself  to  lectures  and  tableaux,  to  singing 
operas,  and  dancing  Hungarian  cotillons,  to  hunting 
foxes  at  breakneck  speed,  to  rescuing  beautiful  ladies, 
mixing  himself  up  therewhile  in  the  affairs  of  noble 
families,  to  fighting  duels  with  officers  for  the  sake  of 
lovely  countesses,  and  running  the  risk  of  being  sabred 
by  an  intemperate  savage !  It  was  no  wonder  that, 
reviewing  all  this,  Ivan  should  say  to  himself,  "Good 
heavens,  what  an  ass  I  have  made,  and  am  making,  of 
myself !  What  have  I  to  do  with  all  the  nonsense  that 
goes  on  in  this  fashionable  world  of  Pesth  ?  Above  all, 
what  is  it  to  me  whether  Countess  Angela  is  at  war 
with  her  grandfather,  whether  she  goes  to  Vienna,  or 
whether  he  comes  to  Pesth  ?  Why  is  it  necessary  for 
me  to  remain  here,  leading  such  an  uncongenial  life,  ap- 
parently without  any  object  ? — and,  although  I  have  an 


208  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

object,  yet  if  this  were  known  to  the  world  I  should  be 
considered  an  even  greater  fool  than  I  am  at  present 
deemed  to  be." 

Now,  as  Ivan's  reflections  have  been  made  public,  it  is 
only  proper  that  the  reason  of  his  apparently  objectless 
conduct  should  be  laid  before  the  reader  of  these  pages, 
so  that  he  or  she  may  be  in  a  position  to  judge  whether 
he  was  a  fool  or  a  wise  man,  or  something  between  the 
two — a  man  of  sentiment  and  feeling,  who  does  what  his 
heart  commands  him  to  do.  With  some  natures  the 
heart  cannot  be  silenced ;  it  has  its  rights.  We  may  re- 
member that  when  the  Abbe  Samuel  paid  his  first  visit 
to  Ivan,  he  found  that  gentleman  in  the  act  of  writing  a 
refusal  to  the  Countess  Theudelinde's  invitation  ;  that 
he  was,  in  fact,  upon  the  point  of  returning  to  Bondavara, 
and  that  the  arrival  of  a  letter  changed  all  his  plans,  and 
was  the  cause  of  his  remaining  in  Pesth.  This  letter 
came  from  Vienna ;  the  writer  was  a  certain  pianist  whose 
name  had  been  for  some  years  mentioned  among  the 
first  class  of  artists — Arpad  Belenyi. 

Nearly  fourteen  years  before  our  story  began  Ivan 
had  lived  for  a  long  time  in  the  house  of  the  Belenyis. 
We  shall  know  later  what  he  did  there.  Arpad  was  at 
that  time  a  child  of  five  years  old ;  he  was  already  counted 
a  prodigy,  and  could  play  long  pieces  upon  the  piano. 
At  that  time  warlike  and  patriotic  marches  were  all  the 
fashion.  One  day  the  bread-winner  of  the  family,  the 
father,  died  suddenly.  The  widow  was  in  despair,  espe- 
cially for  her  orphaned  boy.  Ivan  consoled  her  with  the 
promise  that  he  would  look  after  him,  and  provide  for  his 
education. 

On  account  of  certain  circumstances,  some  months 
after,  however,  Ivan  had  to  leave  the  family  Belenyi 
somewhat  suddenly,  and  it  seemed  doubtful  if  he  should 


THIRTY-THREE    PARTS  209 

ever  see  them  again.  Ivan  at  parting  gave  all  the  money 
he  could  spare  to  the  widow,  and  told  her  to  get  Arpad 
a  good  musical  education,  such  as  would  fit  him  for  an 
artistic  career.  The  boy,  he  thought,  would  attain  emi- 
nence, and  make  a  livelihood  by  his  art.  And  here  let 
it  be  clearly  understood  that  Ivan  was  neither  a  friend 
of  Belenyi  nor  the  lover  of  Madame  Belenyi;  neither  was 
he  connected  with  the  family  in  any  way,  nor  was  he  in 
duty  bound  to  do  as  he  did.  For  years  the  Belenyis 
heard  nothing  from  Ivan,  nor  he  from  them.  Once,  on 
his  inquiring  about  them,  he  was  told  that  in  consequence 
of  a  lawsuit  they  had  lost  their  house,  had  left  the  town, 
and  that  neither  mother  nor  son  had  since  been  heard 
of.  Then,  after  another  spell  of  years,  Arpad  Belenyi's 
name  began  to  be  mentioned  in  different  newspapers, 
always  as  a  young  and  astonishingly  clever  artist.  From 
this  time  Ivan  took  in  regularly  a  musical  paper  or  mag- 
azine, and  so  followed  attentively  his  adopted  son's 
career.  The  latter,  however,  knew  nothing  of  his  kind 
benefactor  until,  later,  Ivan's  name  also  appeared  in  the 
papers.  His  discourse  at  the  Academy  led  to  his  being 
traced  by  his  adopted  son,  who  at  once  wrote  him  a  let- 
ter, beginning  with  the  words,  "  My  dear  father."  It  was 
a  letter  full  of  simple,  boyish  sentiments,  through  which 
broke  at  intervals  the  natural  fun  and  playful  humor  of  the 
artist.  He  told  Ivan  everything  concerning  himself  ;  how 
he  had  travelled  in  many  countries,  accompanied  always 
by  his  mother,  to  whom  he  had  always  to  give  an  account 
of  his  actions  as  near  the  truth  as  possibly  could  be. 
He  had  already  given  concerts  before  crowned  heads, 
and  had  received  several  orders  which  he  was  allowed  to 
wear  only  on  Sundays  ;  the  other  days  of  the  week  they 
were  locked  up  by  his  mother.  He  had  earned  a  good 
deal  of  money,  but  he  was  not  permitted  to  spend  much. 


2IO  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Mamma  gave  him  every  day  a  five-shilling  piece  for 
pocket-money;  the  rest  she  put  by  to  buy  back  her  lit- 
tle house  which  "old  Raize"  had  robbed  her  of.  He, 
therefore,  to  make  more  money,  gave  music-lessons  and 
played  accompaniments  for  artists.  This  was  well  paid, 
particularly  of  late,  when  he  had  fallen  in  with  a  little 
artist,  a  new  singer,  who  paid  splendidly.  She  was  said 
to  be  the  wife  of  Felix  Kaulmann,  the  rich  banker. 

When  he  came  to  this  passage  Ivan's  heart  began  to 
beat.  He  laid  down  the  letter,  then  took  it  up  again, 
and  read  it  with  renewed  attention. 

"This  girl  is  a  mixture  of  Muse  and  Mcenad,"  wrote 
Arpad.  "  Now  she  is  a  petulant  child,  the  next  minute  a 
wild  Amazon  ;  a  born  artist,  full  of  genius,  yet  she  is  not 
likely  ever  to  rise  above  mediocrity.  She  is  full  of  intelli- 
gence and  life,  and  with  this  often  as  stupid  as  a  donkey. 
There  is  no  doubt  she  could  attain  an  unenviable  noto- 
rietv,  but  she  shrinks  from  it,  for  although  she  conducts 
herself  like  a  courtesan,  I  would  take  my  oath  she  is  in 
reality  as  innocent  as  the  child  she  really  is.  She  is 
very  trying  to  me,  full  of  mischief  and  petulance,  and 
this  because  I  treat  her  to  no  soft  manners,  but  scold 
her  well  for  being  so  naughty.  If  you  could  only  see, 
dear  papa,  what  a  splendid  master  I  am,  always  serious, 
no  frivolity  allowed  !  Now  I  have  photographed  myself 
for  you,  have  I  not  ?  Do  not  think,  however,  that  I 
would  have  scrawled  all  over  my  paper  this  monologue 
about  my  pupil,  as  if  I  had  nothing  better  or  wiser  to 
write  about.  I  have  done  so  because  the  subject  has  a 
certain  interest  for  you.  You  must  know  this  curious 
little  angel  confides  in  me  as  if  I  were  her  confessor. 
Sometimes  she  chatters  all  through  her  lesson,  telling 
me  where  she  has  been,  what  she  has  done,  everything 
that  has  happened  to  her  j  and  she  often  tells  me  things 


THIRTY-THREE    PARTS  211 

"which,  if  I  were  in  her  place,  I  would  not  talk  about. 
Have  a  little  patience,  my  dear  good  papa.  This  lady 
has  thirty-three  different  rbles,  all  of  them  of  different 
kinds.  They  are  not,  strictly  speaking,  stage  parts,  but 
monologues,  which  are  composed  expressly  for  her. 
These  scenes  we  rehearse  together;  I  play  her  accom- 
paniment, while  she  sings  and  acts, 

"I  am  coming  now  to  the  kernel  of  the  nut.  I  am 
going  to  crack  it  for  you.  Here  are  the  names  of  the 
actress's  thirty-three  parts — '  Loreley,'  '  Cleopatra,' '  The 
Queen  of  the  Sun,' '  The  Greek  Slave,' '  The  Bacchante,' 
'Nourmahal,'  'The  Bride,'  'The  Matron's  Cap,'  'The 
Bayadere,'  '  Claudia  Laeta,  the  Vestal,'  '  Amalasontha,' 
'Magdalene,'  'Ninon,'  'La  Somnambula,'  'Medea,'  'Sa- 
lome,' 'The  Houris,'  'The  Despair  of  Hero,'  'The  Phryg- 
ian Cap,'  'Turandot,'  'The  Peasant  Girl,'  'The  Mother,' 
'Jeanne  la  Folle,' '  Ophelia,"  Judith,"  Zuleika  Potiphar,' 
'  The  Market  Woman,'  '  The  Grisette,'  '  The  Creole,' 
'Lucretia,'  'The  Will-o'-the-Wisp,'  'Julia  Gonzaga.' 

"  The  thirty-third  part  I  do  not  know ;  we  have  not 
as  yet  rehearsed  it.  But  why  the  deuce  does  she  learn 
all  these  parts,  for  she  never  treads  the  boards  ?  The 
report  is  that  the  reason  why  this  lady's  talent  is  so 
much  cultivated  is  that  she  is  engaged  to  sing  at  the 
Opera-house.  This  seems  even  more  strange,  and  I, 
for  one,  am  slow  to  believe  it.  A  banker  like  Kaul- 
mann,  who  is  a  millionaire,  and  whose  wife  pays  for  her 
apartment  four  thousand  florins!  Besides,  she  would 
have  to  give  her  singing-master,  who  has  got  her  the 
engagement,  six  thousand;  to  the  leader  of  the  orchestra, 
two  thousand ;  four  thousand  to  the  newspapers  to  puff 
her  ;  another  three  thousand  to  the  claqueurs;  and  some- 
thing else  to  the  men  who  throw  the  wreaths  and  flowers. 
There  would  remain  for  her  about  a  thousand  florins ; 


2  12  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

that  would  hardly  pay  for  her  scents.  So  you  see  the 
absurdity  of  the  whole  thing.  Where  are  we  now?  This 
pretty  creature,  who  wishes  also  to  be  a  famous  artist, 
has  several  lovers  who  can  easily  pay  their  court  to 
madame,  seeing  that  she  and  her  husband  live  in  sepa- 
rate apartments.  This  is  only  natural ;  the  banker  could 
not  have  his  mind,  which  is  occupied  with  important 
speculations,  disturbed  by  constant  solfeggi.  There 
are  several  persons  in  Vienna  who  bear  the  title  of 
the  'Maecenas  of  Art';  they  are  gentlemen  of  high 
position,  who  have  great  w^eight  in  the  departmental 
government,  and  w^iose  voices  are  heard  in  all  social 
and  ofificial  capacities.  These  have  been  allowed  the 
privilege  of  being  present  during  the  rehearsals  of  the 
thirty-two  monologues ;  the  thirty-third  has  not  as  yet 
been  played  before  any  one.  In  all  this  I  can  assure 
you  everything  is  conducted  with  the  greatest  propriety. 
I  am  always  present,  also  the  husband,  who  remains 
so  long  as  the  comedy  continues.  Among  the  com- 
pany are  representatives  of  the  highest  nobility,  counts, 
princes,  senators,  and  ministers.  They  are  good  sort 
of  people,  and  call  one  another  Fritz,  Nazi,  Muke,  etc. 
Among  others  we  have  two  princes,  who  come  every 
time  we  have  a  rehearsal — the  Prince  Mari  and  the 
Prince  Baldi ;  the  names  they  received  on  baptism  being 
Waldemar  and  Theobald.  Yesterday  Eveline — for  so  is 
my  pupil  named — w^as  not  inclined  to  work,  and  without 
my  asking  her  what  ailed  her,  with  her  usual  frankness 
she  came  out  with  her  annoyance. 

"  'Only  fancy,'  she  said;  'that  odious  Prince  Walde- 
mar, when  he  was  in  my  opera-box  last  night,  threatened 
that  if  I  did  not  let  him  come  to  our  next  rehearsal  he 
would  ruin  Lixi.'  (Lixi  is  short  for  Felix,  her  husband's 
name.) 


THIRTY-THREE   PARTS  213 

"  '  Wh}^  don't  you  admit  him?'  I  asked.  'He  is  not 
worse  than  the  other  jackanapes  who  come  here.' 

"  '  Because  I  cannot  endure  him.  I  told  Lixi  what 
Prince  Waldemar  had  said,  and  Lixi  answered  that  he 
would  ruin  the  prince.  At  the  same  time  he  gave  me  to 
understand  that  Prince  Theobald  must  be  invited  to  the 
rehearsal,' 

'"AH  right,'  said  I;  'he  is  a  fine  old  gentleman. 
You  can  have  no  objection  to  him;  he  is  old  enough  to 
be  your  grandfather.' 

"  The  young  wife  bit  her  lips,  and,  with  a  frown  on 
her  lovely  face,  said  : 

"  '  I  have  to  ask  him  to  do  something.  What  do  you 
think  it  is?  Oh,  you  could  never  guess  !  It  is  to  give 
his  signature  that  he  will  consent  to  a  certain  affair 
which  will  cost  him  nothing,  but  which  will  heljD  Lixi 
greatly.  You  know  that  Lixi  has  a  grand  speculation 
on  hand,  a  gigantic  coal  company,  which  is  to  start  the 
business  with  I  don't  know  how  many  millions  of  money ; 
but  the  place  where  the  coal-mines  are  situated,  the 
Bondavara  propert}^  belongs  to  Prince  Theobald  and  his 
sister.  The  countess  has  already  given  her  consent, 
but  without  his  ratification  the  shares  would  not  be 
taken  up  at  the  exchange.  Prince  Waldemar  is  work- 
ing against  us,  and  therefore  I  am  to  win  over  the  old 
prince  to  our  side.  Lixi  says  it  will  be  very  easy  to  get 
round  him  just  at  the  present  moment,  because  his 
granddaughter.  Countess  Angela,  of  whom  he  is  very 
fond,  has  quarrelled  with  him  and  left  him.  The  poor 
old  man  is  very  sad  and  lonely,  and  Lixi  says  whoever 
cheers  him  up  will  be  able  to  do  anything  with  him  ; 
and,'  she  added,  with  a  wise  look,  '  we  are  not  deceiv- 
ing him,  for  the  Bondavara  coal  is  the  finest  in  the 
world.' 


214  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  I  burst  out  laughing  ;  I  could  not  help  it.  Then 
she  pulled  my  hair  and  said : 

"  '  Why  do  you  laugh,  you  ridiculous  donkey  ?  I 
think  I  must  be  a  judge  of  coal,  for  I  worked  as  day- 
laborer  for  ten  years  in  the  mines  of  Herr  Behrend.' 

"  At  these  words  my  astonishment  was  so  great  that 
I  jumped  up  from  my  seat. 

" '  You  may  stare  your  eyes  out  of  your  head,'  she 
said,  laughing  at  my  amazement,  'but  it  is  quite  true. 
I  used  to  shove  the  coal-wagons,  and  barefoot  into  the 
bargain.' 

"  '  Gracious  lady,  believe  me,  I  did  not  jump  up  from 
astonishment ;  I  was  surprised  to  hear  you  name  Ivan 
Behrend.     What  do  you  know  of  him  ?     Pray  tell  me.' 

"  '  He  was  the  owner  of  the  coal-mines  in  Bondavara, 
near  which  Felix  is  going  to  open  works  upon  an  enor- 
mous scale.  He  was  my  master ;  God  bless  him,  wher- 
ever he  goes  !' 

"  Now,  dear  papa,  I  have  come  to  the  heart  of  the 
business,  after,  it  must  be  owned,  an  unconscionably 
long  prelude.  With  my  weak  intellect  I  have  thought 
out  the  whole  thing.  Here  is  my  kind  friend,  my  adopt- 
ed father,  the  owner  of  a  mine  in  Bondavara,  and  be- 
side him  men  with  I  don't  know  how  many  millions  at 
their  backs  are  going  to  form  a  coal  company.  It  would 
be  a  good  thing  to  let  him  know,  that  he  may  act  in 
time ;  it  may  be  good  for  him,  but  it  would  seem  to  me 
that  it  may  also  be  very  bad.  Here  the  air  is  full  of 
speculation  ;  you  see,  I  am  already  slightly  bitten.  Let 
me  know  how  and  in  what  manner  the  affair  affects  you 
and  your  interests.  I  shall  write  to  you  what  goes  on 
here,  for  I  shall  be  behind  the  scenes;  this  little  fool 
tells  me  everything." 

The  receipt  of  this  letter  had  decided  Ivan  to  accept 


THIRTY-THREE    PARTS  215 

the  Countess  Theudelinde's  invitation  to  give  a  roman- 
tic reading  at  her  house,  and  to  enter  into  the  society  of 
Pesth.  He  wrote  to  Arpad,  and  begged  him  to  give  him 
every  day  an  exact  account  of  what  he  heard  through 
Evila  of  the  progress  of  the  coal-mine  company. 

From   this   time   Ivan  received  regularly  every  week 
two  or  three  letters  from  Vienna. 

"The  old  prince  nibbles  at  the  bait.  Kaulmann  has 
brought  him  to  the  rehearsal  of  the  new  piece.  Eveline 
sings  and  acts  enchantingly ;  that  is,  when  she  is  within 
four  walls,  and  has  only  a  few  people  for  audience.  If 
she  acted  like  this  on  the  stage  she  would  be  a  celebrated 
actress  in  no  time ;  but  so  soon  as  she  comes  before  the 
footlights  stage-fright  seizes  upon  her,  she  trembles,  for- 
gets everything,  stands  there  like  a  stick,  and,  worst  of 
all,  sings  quite  false.  These  rehearsals  have  been  given 
on  the  pretext  that  the  prince  should  have  an  opportu- 
nity of  judging  of  her  talent,  so  that  he  may  influence 
those  in  power  to  give  her  an  engagement  at  the  opera. 
I  know  what  their  real  object  is.  The  prince  is  a  real 
connoisseur  in  music,  and  he  understands  not  alone  art, 
but  artists.  He  knows  that  there  is  a  price  set  upon 
such  black  diamonds  as  sparkle  in  Eveline's  eyes.  There 
is  the  additional  incentive  that  Prince  Waldemar  is  des- 
perately in  love  with  this  woman,  and  Prince  Theobald, 
for  certain  reasons,  will  do  anything  to  prevent  her  fall- 
ing into  his  hands.  He  would  even  go  the  length  of  tak- 
ing her  himself  sooner  than  such  a  misadventure  should 
happen. 

"A  short  time  since  Prince  Waldemar  met  me,  and 
offered  me  one  hundred  ducats  for  every  leaf  of  the  al- 
bum in  which  are  the  portraits  of  Madame  Kaulmann  in 
her  character  costumes.  You  must  know,  of  late,  each 
day  that  we  rehearse  one  of  the  monologues  at  the  piano 


2l6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

a  photographer  is  present  and  takes  the  artist  in  her  cos- 
tume. Everything  must  be  finished  in  the  house,  and 
not  more  than  four  pictures  are  allowed  to  be  executed  ; 
one  of  these  is  for  Prince  Theobald,  one  is  kept  by  her- 
self, one  she  presents  to  me,  and  the  fourth  is  for  my 
friend  Felix.  The  negative  is  then  broken.  I  would  not 
sell  my  photographs  to  Prince  Waldemar,  but  I  send 
them  to  you  as  they  follow  one  another.  Mamma  does 
not  like  to  see  such  pictures  in  my  room.'' 

Ivan  received  with  each  letter  a  photograph  ;  each 
portrait  represented  Evila  as  a  lovely  creation  in  a  most 
graceful  pose.  Arpad  had  not  the  least  idea  what  a 
hell  of  different  passions  were  raised  in  Ivan's  breast  as 
he  looked  at  the  beautiful  image  of  the  woman  he  had 
and  still  loved. 

In  the  first  portrait  she  was  represented  as  "  Loreley  " 
the  fairy,  who,  in  the  whirlpool  of  the  Rhine,  sings  her 
magic  song  and  combs  her  hair  with  a  golden  comb, 
while  her  left  shoulder  rises  from  the  waves,  which  par- 
tially conceal  her  form.  Her  eyes  gaze  invitingly  at  the 
fisherman,  whom  she  entices  to  his  ruin.  In  the  second 
photograph  she  appeared  as  "  Cleopatra "  at  Tarsus, 
where  she  is  displaying  all  her  charms  to  seduce  her 
conqueror  and  make  him  her  slave ;  a  rich  portrait,  in 
which  the  lascivious  queen  is  represented  laden  with 
splendid  dresses  and  jewels,  while  the  expression  of  the 
beautiful  face  was  an  admirable  mixture  of  pride,  dig- 
nity, and  weakness.  The  third  photograph  presented 
the  sun-queen,  "  Atahualpa,"  the  wife  of  the  last  Inca. 
Her  look  was  haughty  and  sublime ;  the  sublimity  of 
the  expression  diverts  attention  from  the  uncovered 
arms,  white  as  marble,  round  as  an  infant's,  which  are 
raised  to  heaven,  offering  as  a  sacrifice  a  human  heart. 
Her  face  mirrored  the  coldness  of  heaven  itself.     The 


THIRTY-THREE    PARTS  217 

fourth,  as  the  "Greek  Slave";  she  represented  the  tor- 
tured beauty,  who  in  vain  tries  to  break  the  chains  of 
shame  in  which  she  is  bound — a  lovely  marble  statue, 
equal  in  conception  to  one  by  Thorwaldsen  or  Pradier. 
The  fifth  was  the  "  Bacchante,"  from  one  of  the  Roman 
bas-reliefs,  which  represents  the  procession  of  Bacchus. 
A  wild,  bold,  dissolute  conception  ;  showing  accessories 
of  surprising  drapery,  panther  skins,  cups,  etc.,  an  ideal 
debauch  ;  limbs  in  wild  movement.  The  sixth  portrait 
w\as  of  a  bride  ;  a  white  lace  dress,  upon  her  head  a 
white  garland,  her  figure  concealed  by  a  white  veil,  on 
her  face  an  expression  of  soft  emotion  at  the  approach- 
ing realization  of  her  happiness,  in  her  eyes  tears,  on  her 
lips  a  tremulous  smile.  With  what  wonderful  charm  she 
stretches  out  her  hand  to  receive  the  betrothal  ring! 
The  eighth  portrayed  a  young  woman  who  for  the  first 
time  puts  the  matron's  cap  upon  her  head.  Pride, 
shame,  and  conscious  triumph  are  all  in  her  face.  She 
feels  that  the  cap  upon  her  head  is  a  well-deserved 
crown — a  crown  for  which  she  has  sacrificed  a  garland. 

Ivan  contemplated  this  picture  for  a  long  time;  his 
heart  was  full  of  the  bitterness  of  disappointed  love. 
His  adopted  son's  present  had  been  somewhat  unfort- 
unate. 

The  ninth  photograph  represented  Evila  as  a  "Baya- 
dere," in  the  artistic  dress  of  the  Indian  dancer,  striking 
the  tambourine  over  her  head.  Round  her  slight  figure 
a  shawl  embroidered  in  gold  was  wound  in  careless 
folds,  on  her  neck  a  chain  of  gold  coins,  her  small  feet 
bare,  and  strings  of  pearls  up  to  the  knee. 

In  the  tenth  portrait  she  appeared  as  "  Claudia 
Laeta,"  the  vestal  virgin,  at  the  moment  when  she  is 
led  to  the  stake  because  she  has  refused  the  solicita- 
tions of  Caracalla ;  on  her  face  an  expression  of  horror, 


2l8  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

of  virginal  modesty.  With  one  hand  she  tries  to  cover 
her  head  with  her  cloak  to  escajDe  from  the  gaze  of  the 
multitude. 

How  is  it  possible  for  one  woman  to  play  so  many 
parts?  Arpad  accompanied  these  pictures  with  diffuse 
explanations,  which  were  so  many  arrows  in  the  heart  of 
Ivan.  The  result  of  all  this  posturing  was,  he  said,  be- 
coming every  day  clearer. 

"The  prince  is  rnore  and  more  fascinated  ;  he  is  fall- 
ing deeper  and  deeper  into  the  net  spread  for  him. 
After  each  rehearsal  he  declares  that  a  real  treasure  has 
been  concealed,  which  has  been  a  loss  to  art  that  must 
be  at  once  remedied." 

But  such  treasures  are  very  costly,  especially  when  a 
man  has  reached  the  age  of  sixty-eight,  close  on  seventy, 
and  has  a  marriageable  granddaughter;  then  it  is  neces- 
sary to  look  very  closely  into  his  check-book  to  see  if  it 
would  be  possible  to  provide  for  the  grandchild  and  at 
the  same  time  satisfy  the  caprices  of  a  beautiful  young 
woman. 

Not  long  ago  Prince  Theobald  had  built  a  splendid 
palace  in  the  Maximilian  Strasse;  it  was  destined  for 
the  Countess  Angela,  in  the  case  that  she  agreed  to  her 
grandfather's  wish  as  to  her  marriage.  The  palace  was 
furnished  with  the  utmost  magnificence.  The  countess, 
however,  had  thought  otherwise.  She  broke  off  her  mar- 
riage with  Sondersheim  ;  she  had  good  reasons,  no  doubt, 
but  she  need  not  have  openly  defied  her  grandfather. 
It  was  unwise  of  her  so  to  do,  for  Evila  was  weaving  her 
spell  closer  round  the  old  man's  heart,  and  Angela  had 
best  be  prudent,  and  return  speedily  to  Vienna,  else  the 
palace  in  the  Maximilian  Strasse  will  be  presented,  with- 
out a  shadow  of  doubt,  to  Madame  Kaulmann. 

Arpad's  letters  had  made  Ivan  acquainted  with  the 


THIRTY-THREE    PARTS  219 

ins  and  outs  of  the  whole  affair ;  through  them  he  had 
learned  that  the  woman  he  had  loved  had  become  the 
wife  of  another  man,  and  was  likely  to  be  the  mistress 
of  a  third.  The  first  blow  he  could  bear  with  a  certain 
resignation  ;  he  wished  her  all  happiness ;  but  that  she 
should  sink  up  to  the  neck  in  shame,  led  thither  by  the 
act  of  her  own  husband,  was  a  bitter  thought !  No,  that 
she  should  be  saved  from,  if  Ivan  could  compass  her 
deliverance.  For  this  end  he  remained  in  Pesth.  Hence 
it  seemed  to  him  he  could  pull  the  strings  of  this  complex 
drama,  and  defeat  the  conspiracy  against  Evila's  honor ; 
for  this  purpose  he  went  into  a  world  that  he  despised, 
affected  a  manner  of  life  totally  inconsistent  with  his 
ideas,  and  cultivated  a  friendship  with  the  Countess  An- 
gela, that  his  influence  might  induce  her  to  play  the  part 
of  the  good  angel. 

Was  he  a  fool  to  sacrifice  his  own  feelings  for  a  woman 
who  had  inflicted  upon  him  the  severest  mortification  a 
man  can  endure  ?  Those  whose  hearts  are  dominated 
by  cold  prudence  will  judge  his  folly  perhaps  rightly ; 
those  who  have  hearts  that  feel  for  others  will  acknowl- 
edge that  he  did  well  in  obeying  its  dictates,  and  from 
his  own  point  of  view,  perhaps,  he  acted  for  his  own 
ultimate  advantage. 

If  Prince  Theobald  is  induced  to  consent  to  the  lease 
of  his  property  to  the  Bondavara  Company,  Ivan's  little 
coal-mine  is  ruined.  Good  if  he  can,  while  working  for 
another,  help  himself.  A  man  of  business  is  always  a 
speculator ;  therefore  w^e  say  to  the  warm-hearted  and 
compassionate  that  Ivan  acted  a  part  to  save  Evila  from 
shame,  and  to  the  cold-hearted  and  unfeeling  that  it  was 
all  in  the  way  of  business,  to  save,  if  he  could,  his  little 
all  from  the  monster  company  ready  to  devour  it  bodily. 

Arpad  continued  to  send  the  photographs.    They  were 


220  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

of  all  kinds,  tragic  and  comic.  "  Medea,"  with  her  mur- 
derous revenge  and  jealousy ;  the  daughter  of  Herod, 
with  her  voluptuous  dance  to  gain  the  saint's  head  ;  the 
cruelty  of  "Judith,"  the  wild  laughter  of  "Jeanne  la 
Folle,"  the  devotion  of  a  holy  nun,  the  coquettish  tricks 
of  a  grisette,  a  languid  Creole,  a  supernatural  "  Will-o'- 
the-Wisp  " — these  were  the  principal  representations  in 
which  Ivan  found  rather  studied  effort  at  catching  an 
artistic  effect  than  natural  instinct  or  expression.  This 
was  the  school  of  Madame  Grissac,  to  whom  Felix  had 
intrusted  Evila's  education.  Two  portraits  that  came  at 
the  end  produced  upon  Ivan  a  painful  impression.  One 
represented  a  mother  by  the  cradle  of  her  child,  the 
other  a  peasant  girl,  a  coal-carrier,  with  her  hair  plaited 
down  her  back,  and  a  red  frock  tucked  up  above  her 
ankles.  It  pained  Ivan  deeply  that  she  should  profane 
these  two  sacred  subjects.  Why  take  a  mother's  love  to 
be  made  a  vehicle  to  create  an  old  man's  admiration  ? 
And  the  girl  with  the  red  frock !  Ah,  that  was  unpar- 
donable !  He  could  riot  forgive  her  for  having  wounded 
him  to  the  very  heart. 

One  day  the  artist  wrote  to  Ivan — 

"  My  good  patron,  Felix  Kaulmann,  is  an  out-and-out 
scoundrel.  Up  to  the  present  he  generally  attends  the 
rehearsals  when  the  prince  is  present.  Yesterday  Prince 
Theobald  seemed  quite  excited,  so  much  so  that  Kaul- 
mann was  struck  by  it.  To  his  question  the  prince  said 
that  he  was  very  happy.  He  had  received  a  letter  from 
his  granddaughter,  the  Countess  Angela.  She  wrote 
in  the  most  friendly  manner.  She  told  him  that  she  had 
met  a  certain  Ivan  Behrend,  who  had  the  courage  to- give 
her  a  regular  scolding,  and  had  told  her  to  her  face  what 
was  the  duty  of  the  Hungarian  magnates  towards  their 
country,  a  duty  in  which  they  were  wanting,  and  which 


THIRTY-THREE    PARTS  221 

Prince  Theobald  would  fulfil  if  he  left  Vienna  and  came 
to  reside  in  Pesth,  in  which  case  the  countess  would 
agree  to  a  reconciliation.  The  old  prince  seemed  so 
Ixappy  at  the  idea  of  seeing  his  child  again  !  Kaulmann, 
however,  looked  very  black,  blacker  still  when  the  prince 
said  he  would  consider  the  matter ;  but  that,  as  the 
countess  had  taken  a  fancy  to  Pesth,  he  thought  he 
would  go  there.  Inwardly  Felix  gnashed  his  teeth  with 
rage,  outwardly  he  expressed  great  satisfaction  that  the 
countess  had  at  last  broken  the  ice;  it  was  a  good  sign 
that  she  was  getting  tired  of  her  obstinacy.  But  if  he  were 
in  the  prince's  situation  he  would  try  and  persuade  the 
countess  to  come  to  Vienna,  instead  of  going  himself  to 
Pesth.  The  prince  listened  to  this  suggestion  ;  he  fell 
into  the  trap,  and  will  not  go  at  once  to  Pesth,  but  will 
try  to  bring  back  the  countess.  In  the  meantime  we 
are  to  have  the  two  last  rehearsals.  The  thirty-second 
is  the  representation  of  '  Julia  Gonzaga,'  whose  story 
you  will  find  in  any  library.  The  most  interesting  part 
of  this  scene  is  the  toilette  of  the  heroine,  who  appears 
in  a  night-dress  made  of  muslin,  with  her  feet  naked.  In 
spite  of  this  rather  risky  costume  the  lady's  virtue  was 
irreproachable,  for  in  her  hand  she  held  a  dagger,  and 
threatened  to  kill  any  one  who  ventured  to  look  at  her 
feet.  As  I  wrote  to  you,  Kaulmann  has  always  been 
present  at  these  rehearsals,  but  from  this  one  of  '  Julia 
Gonzaga '  he  is  obliged  to  absent  himself,  as  he  has  to 
go  away  for  a  few  days.  I  believe  that  my  office  should 
be  called  garde  des  dames.  As  it  happens,  however,  on 
this  occasion  I,  too,  am  unavoidably  prevented  from 
being  present.  When  I  went  home  and  showed  mamma 
the  enclosed  photograph  she  shuddered,  and  positively 
forbade  me  to  assist  at  a  rehearsal  in  which  a  woman 
appeared  in  such  a  costume.     I  must  plead  illness  or 


2  22  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

any  other  cause,  but  stay  at  home  I  must.  I  thought 
over  several  lies,  but  at  last  I  decided  that  I  would  tell 
my  gracious  pupil  the  truth  ;  so  I  did. 

"  '  Listen,'  I  said.  *  My  mother  will  not  allow  me  .to 
accompany  you  if  you  sing  barefoot.  If  it  is  really  the 
point  of  the  piece  that  'Julia'  must  present  herself  with- 
out stockings  on  her  feet,  then  I  must  deny  myself  the 
pleasure  of  playing  on  the  piano.' 

"  The  silly  child  laughed  very  much,  and  said  she 
would  get  somebody  else.  She  may  do  as  she  likes ;  I 
don't  care.  Mamma  is  perfectly  right  in  forbidding  me 
to  go,  and  I  think  that  I  have  done  perfectly  right  to 
tell  my  pupil  why  I  refuse  to  accompany  her" 

This  letter  depressed  Ivan.  For  a  long  time  he 
looked  at  the  photograph,  considering  it  from  every 
point  of  view.  Evila  in  a  dress  the  thin  material  of 
which  showed  every  motion  of  her  plastic  limbs;  in  one 
hand  she  gathered  the  folds  across  her  breast,  her  eyes 
had  a  murderous  glare  in  their  violet  depths,  her  long  and 
beautiful  hair  fell  to  her  feet ;  in  her  right  hand  she 
pointed  a  dagger  towards  a  motionless  form  which  lay 
at  her  feet  covered  by  a  rug.  This  was  the  second  time 
that  Ivan  had  heard  the  story  from  a  lady. 

The  next  day  he  received  another  letter  from  Arpad ; 
he  found  it  on  his  return  from  the  first  meeting  with 
Salista. 

"  Eveline,"  wrote  the  artist,  "  performed  her  tableau 
before  the  prince  without  the  accompaniment  of  the 
piano  and  without  the  company  of  her  husband.  She 
looked  so  lovely  that  all  the  prince's  good  principles 
melted  away  like  snow  before  the  sun.  He  took  her 
hand  and  kissed  it;  then  the  murderous  look  disap- 
peared from  her  sweet  eyes;  she  broke  out  into  a  rip- 
ple of  laughter. 


THIRTY-THREE    PARTS  223 

"  '  Prince,  do  you  not  see  that  I  have  a  knife  in  my 
hand  ?' 

"'I  can  take  it  from  you.' 

"  The  young  girl  laughed  again ;  and  we  all  know 
how  easy  it  is  to  take  anything  from  a  smiling  woman. 

"At  this  moment  there  resounded  through  the  room 
an  echo  of  Eveline's  laugh  ;  that  is  to  say,  if  you  can 
call  a  frog's  croak  an  echo  of  a  nightingale's  song.  Out 
of  the  conservatory,  which  ornaments  one  side  of  the 
room,  there  came  a  crippled  dwarf,  who  supported  him- 
self upon  crutches.  His  long  head  was  sunk  between 
his  high  shoulders,  and  his  white,  satyr-like  face  was 
distorted  by  an  odious  grin  as  he  dragged  himself  be- 
tween the  prince  and  his  inamorata. 

"  '  Prince,  we  are  not  alone,'  laughed  Eveline,  freeing 
her  hand  from  the  clasp  of  the  astonished  nobleman. 

"'In  Heaven's  name,  who  is  this  splendid  specimen 
of  a  toad  ?'  he  cried,  with  an  air  of  disgust. 

"  '  This  is  my  only  beloved  little  brother,'  cried  Eve- 
line, putting  her  arms  round  the  little  monster,  and  cov- 
ering him  with  kisses  while  she  stroked  his  head.  '  My 
dear,  only  little  brother,  my  all,  my  dearest;  my  ugly, 
cross,  quarrelsome  little  tyrant,  who  comes  to  me  when- 
ever he  likes.' 

"  '  A  horrible  creature  1'  said  the  prince.  '  The  hob- 
goblins who  kept  watch  over  the  gate  of  the  Witch  of 
Endor  were  cherubims  as  compared  with  this  monster. 
I  beg  of  you,  Eveline,  not  to  kiss  his  face,  as  it  takes 
away  forever  the  pleasure  one  would  have  in  kissing 
so  lovely  a  mouth.' 

"  Eveline  made  no  answer,  but,  suddenly  turning  away, 
she  threw  a  burnoose  round  her  shoulders,  put  her  tiny 
feet  into  a  pair  of  slippers,  and  said,  demurely : 

"'Prince,  the  thirty- second   rehearsal    is   over,  and 


224  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

there  only  remains  the  thirty- third  to  complete  the 
course.' 

"  The  prince  asked  what  the  title  of  this  last  should 
be,  and  Eveline  whispered  in  his  ear  that  he  would 
know  the  next  day  but  one. 

"  '  And  how  many  more  will  know  it  ?' 

"  '  No  one  but  you.' 

"  '  Not  this  Caliban  .?' 

" '  Certainly  not.' 

"  The  prince  took  his  leave  in  an  ecstasy,  firmly  con- 
vinced that  at  the  last  representation  he  would  have 
Eveline  all  to  himself.  Eveline  needed  a  day  to  pre- 
pare herself. 

"  The  scene  was  repeated  to  me  by  the  cripple,  who 
likes  me  very  much,  and  comes  nearly  every  evening  to 
share  my  supper ;  for  although  everything  possible  for 
his  comfort  is  provided  by  Eveline,  he  is  never  happy 
unless  he  begs  from  some  one.  If  he  were  a  prince,  I 
do  believe  the  creature  would  get  out  of  his  carriage  to 
ask  for  alms.  He  finds  such  a  wonderful  pleasure  in 
begging.  For  a  stick  of  sugar-barley  he  will  tell  me 
everything.  What  pleased  him  most  was  the  prince's 
remark  about  his  being  a  splendid  specimen  of  a  toad. 
He  imitated  for  me  how  he  crept  out  of  the  conserva- 
tory on  his  crutches,  and  how  he  laughed  when  he  saw 
the  gentleman  wanted  to  take  the  knife  from  his  sister. 
You  will  hear  from  me  again  the  day  after  to-morrow," 

The  day  after  to-morrow  !  These  words  to  a  man  who 
might  be  lying  stark  and  stiff  by  that  time  !  They  gave 
Ivan  a  sudden  chill;  but  he  said  to  himself  he  would  not 
die  easily,  he  would  fight  for  his  life. 

That  night  he  dreamed  a  curious  dream,  in  which  he 
saw  two  "  Julia  Gonzagas,"  wl^o  both  wanted  to  kill  him, 
and  yet  he  had  deserved  nothing  but  good  at  their  hands. 

So  sfoes  the  world  ! 


CHAPTER    XV 

TWO    POINTS 

A  DUEL  with  swords  has  this  distinct  advantage  over 
a  duel  with  pistols  :  you  need  have  no  concealment  con- 
cerning it ;  the  day  before  it  is  spoken  of  as  an  interest- 
ing wager  would  be.  In  former  times  it  happened  rarely 
that  a  duel  with  swords  had  a  fatal  ending,  and  therefore 
it  is  surrounded  with  none  of  the  mystery  that  attends 
the  more  serious  affair;  for  the  seconds,  likewise,  there 
is  far  less  responsibility.  If  a  principal  gets  severely 
hurt,  the  attending  surgeon  declares  that  the  sufferer  has 
not  died  of  the  wound,  but  that  there  was  some  trouble 
in  the  organism  which  would  have  probably  killed  him 
within  the  next  forty-eight  hours.  And  who,  nowadays, 
would  make  a  fuss  over  a  man  who  was  doomed  to  die  in 
forty-eight  hours  ? 

The  duel  which  was  to  take  place  between  the  Marquis 
Salista  and  Ivan  was  spoken  of  at  the  club  with  indif- 
ference, as  a  thing  that  had  a  foregone  conclusion.  Salista 
spoke  most  of  it  himself,  and  at  six  o'clock  the  evening 
before  stood  at  the  chimney-piece  and  entertained  a 
select  group  of  friends,  among  whom  were  the  four  sec- 
onds, with  his  ideas  on  the  subject. 

The  golden  youth  of  Pesth,  being  in  the  habit  of  hav- 
ing constant  fencing-bouts  at  the  different  gymnasiums, 
know  well  who  is  the  most  skilful  fencer,  and  are  there- 
fore able  to  predicate,  accurately  enough  in  many  cases. 


226  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

what  the  result  will  be.  Salista  had  the  reputation 
of  being  a  first-rate  swordsman ;  he  had  already  fought 
several  duels,  and  always  been  the  victor ;  he  had  one 
particular  stroke,  a  master-stroke,  which  few  fencers 
could  parry;  it  was  a  quick  thrust  in  the  stomach,  which, 
passing  round  the  point  of  his  adversary's  sword,  ripped 
up  his  abdomen.  If  the  other  intercepted  the  thrust,  he 
was  likely  to  get  out  of  time,  so  that  his  face,  being  left 
uncovered,  was  exposed  to  a  well-delivered  thrust  which 
would  spoil  his  beauty,  if  it  did  not  have  more  dangerous 
consequences.  Some  men  would  have  felt  that  the  cir- 
cumstances connected  with  the  preceding  duel  required 
explanation,  that  the  refusal  to  stand  your  adversary's 
fire  had  a  doubtful  sound.  For  a  similar  offence  others 
had  been  rigorously  punished  by  having  to  leave  Vienna 
for  some  weeks,  and  being  sometimes  kept  in  Coventry 
even  longer.  Salista  was,  however,  a  privileged  person ; 
his  courage  was  not  called  in  question.  He  was,  more- 
over, a  cool  hand,  and  carried  off  his  difficult  position 
with  the  most  astounding  aplomb.  As  he  now  stood  upon 
the  rug  he  talked  with  a  good  deal  of  swagger  as  to  what 
would  happen  on  the  morrow. 

"We  shall  see  what  stuff  this  Admirable  Crichton  is 
made  of.  Sword-exercise  is  not  like  pistol-shooting ; 
there  can  be  no  mathematics.  We  will  ask  him  how  he 
construes  the  under-cut  when  the  sabre  takes  his  legs 
from  under  him." 

Count  Geza  rebuked  the  boaster.  "You  must  re- 
member," he  said,  "that  Ivan  acted  towards  you  in  the 
most  chivalrous  manner  when  he  accepted  the  sword 
instead  of  the  pistol,  and  you  must  also  consider  that  he 
is  a  man  of  learning,  very  much  thought  of,  and  likely  to 
be  of  setvice  in  his  generation." 

"Very  good.     You  needn't  be  afraid,  I  shall  not  kill 


TWO    POINTS  227 

him;  I  shall  only  slice  a  piece  off  his  nose,  that  he  may- 
carry  home  a  souvenir  of  Pesth.  A  scholar  like  him 
will  not  care  if  his  beauty  is  spoiled  ;  science  is  not 
sniffed  up  like  snuff,  and  his  nose  is  no  use  for  looking 
through  the  telescope  at  the  stars." 

Here  Edmund  interfered,  and  protested  hotly  against 
any  injury  being  done  to  the  nose  of  his  principal.  At 
last  the  marquis  had  to  content  himself  with  a  slice  off 
his  ear;  but  Edmund  still  remonstrated. 

"You  should  be  satisfied  with  a  cut  on  his  hand,"  he 
said;  "the  whole  matter  is  not  worth  more." 

Count  Stefan  here  made  a  suggestion  in  his  quiet 
way. 

"My  good  Salista,  what  if  this  coal-heaver  were  to 
cut  you  down  ?" 

"What!"  blustered  the  marquis,  standing  with  long 
legs  apart  in  front  of  the  chimney-piece.  "To  show 
you  what  I  think  of  him,  I  will  give  him  two  points;  I 
will  let  him  have  two  cuts  at  me  on  my  arm,  and  then  I 
will  cut  him  down.  You  shall  see!  You  can  make 
your  bets.  Who  holds  the  wager  ?"  So  he  went  on 
boasting  until  the  discussion  came  to  an  end.  His  last 
question  was  whether  the  seconds  would  be  quick 
enough  to  interfere  before  he  made  a  cripple  of  their 
great  scholar. 

On  the  following  day  the  two  parties  met.  The  large 
ball-room  in  the  hotel  had  been  thought  the  most  suit- 
able place,  as  it  was  generally  hired  for  such  occasions. 
The  seconds  had  chalked  the  floor  with  pulverized  chalk 
to  prevent  the  combatants  from  slipping.  In  an  adjoin- 
ing room  both  the  principals  had  to  strip  to  the  waist; 
then  they  were  led  into  the  room.  There  was  no  neces- 
sity to  draw  lots  as  to  the  placing  of  the  men,  as  the 
room  was  panelled  all  round  with  looking-glasses.     Be- 


228  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

fore  they  were  given  the  sabres  the  following  conditions 
were  read  out : 

"  First  blood.     Stabbing  is  not  allowed." 

Salista  protested.  He  would  not  hear  of  first  blood. 
The  duel  should  go  on  until  one  of  the  combatants  de- 
clared himself  no  longer  able  to  fight.  Every  one  tried 
to  persuade  him  to  be  more  moderate,  but  he  would  not 
give  in. 

"  Give  us  the  swords !"  cried  Ivan,  out  of  all  patience. 
"I  am  getting  a  chill,  half-naked  as  I  am." 

This  interruption  decided  the  matter.  The  paces 
were  measured,  the  principals  placed  in  position,  and 
their  swords  handed  to  them. 

Both  were  naked  to  their  waists.  Salista  exhibited 
Herculean  muscles,  Ivan  had  a  well -developed  form. 
He  had  certainly  not  so  much  flesh  as  his  adversary,  but 
was  bony,  had  long  arms,  and  a  vaulted  chest.  The 
fight  began  in  the  usual  manner.  Both  men  held  the 
points  of  their  swords  towards  each  other,  had  the  left 
hand  drawn  back,  and  their  heads  protected  by  their 
arms.  Now  and  again  they  crossed  their  swords  dex- 
terously, trying  to  find  a  place  for  a  good  thrust,  and 
striking  one  another  softly.  Each  stared  into  his  ad- 
versary's eyes,  seeking  to  read  his  intentions.  Salista 
essayed  to  give  his  adversary  a  thrust  which  would 
injure  his  face.  This  was  very  difficult,  for  the  face 
is  always  protected  by  the  arm.  Ivan,  on  his  side, 
endeavored  to  give  his  opponent  the  double  thrust. 
This  requires  extraordinary  agility ;  but  he  succeed- 
ed. He  tore  the  top  muscle  of  Salista's  right  arm  the 
whole  way  dow^n.  That  this  blow  does  not  bleed  at 
once  is  explained  by  the  cellular  texture  of  the  mus- 
cles. 

"  Forward  !"  cried  Salista.     "  No  blood  !" 


TWO    POINTS 


229 


He  now  gave  up  all  efforts  at  injuring  his  adversary 
in  the  face,  and  resorted  to  his  well-known  trick,  the 
belly-thrust,  which  is  difficult  to  parry,  and  if  it  hits  is 
often  deadly  in  its  effect.  If  it  is  not  parried,  the  effect 
is  certain ;  and  if  it  is,  the  giver  can,  if  he  is  a  good 
swordsman,  hit  his  adversary  a  terrible  cut  over  the 
head.  Ivan  did  not  parry,  good  or  bad.  Salista  had 
not  forgotten  that  the  duelling-sword  is  shorter  than  the 
cavalry  practise-sword ;  but  he  forgot,  or  rather  didn't 
know,  that  his  adversary  had  arms  of  unusual  length. 
This  is,  therefore,  what  happened.  Ivan  did  not  at- 
tempt to  parry  the  belly-thrust;  he  raised  his  arm,  and 
let  the  sword-point  of  his  opponent  pass  at  a  distance  of 
two  lines  over  his  body,  while  he  aimed  straight  at  the 
other's  arm,  cutting  him  crossways  in  the  same  place 
where  he  had  before  cut  lengthways. 

These  were  the  two  points.  Through  this  cross-cut 
the  difference  of  strength  between  the  two  men  was 
equalized.  This  last  defeat  filled  Salista  with  fury. 
With  the  roar  of  a  wild  beast  he  threw  himself  upon  his 
adversary,  and  with  all  his  strength  made  two  cuts  at 
the  head.  He  cut  as  a  butcher  cuts  with  his  axe ;  it 
was  a  miracle  that  both  swords  didn't  break  in  two,  for, 
according  to  rule,  Ivan  received  both  thrusts  upon  the 
handle  of  his  sword,  and  before  the  other  could  give 
him  a  third  he  gave  him  quickly  a  thrust  in  front  with 
such  strength  and  precision  that  it  came  with  full  force 
on  the  head  and  face  of  the  marquis.  It  was  lucky  that 
the  sword  was  light,  otherwise  he  would  have  split  his 
skull  in  two.  Salista  reeled  under  the  blow,  then  raised 
his  left  arm  to  protect  his  head,  tottered  sideways,  and 
fell  down,  supporting  himself  upon  the  handle  of  his 
sword.  His  seconds  ran  to  him  to  raise  him  up  and 
lead  him  away.     Ivan  stood  with  his  sword-point  low- 


230  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

ered,  his  face  apathetic,  as  if  turned  to  marble.  His 
seconds  congratulated  him. 

"  Are  the  gentlemen  content  ?"  he  asked. 

"  I  dare  swear  they  are,"  returned  Count  Edmund. 
"  Nothing  could  have  turned  out  better  ;  the  affair  is  at 
an  end." 

With  these  words  they  conducted  Ivan  into  the  next 
room  to  dress  himself. 

When  he  returned  to  the  hall  he  found  that  his  ad- 
versary had  recovered  consciousness  ;  the  two  doctors 
were  with  him,  one  binding  up  his  head,  the  other  his 
arm. 

According  to  the  usual  etiquette,  Ivan  went  to  him. 

''  Forgive  me,  comrade,"  he  said. 

Salista  gave  him  his  left  hand,  and  said,  cordially, 
"  It  is  not  worth  talking  about ;  but  it  was  a  splendid 
fight.  The  other  two  don't  count,  because  I  had  said  I 
would  give  you  'two  points;'  the  third — ah,  that  was  a 
cut !     But  I  shall  be  all  right  in  a  week." 

Ivan  asked  the  doctors  if  the  wounds  were  dangerous, 
but  Salista  answered  for  them. 

"  Soldier's  luck,"  he  said.  "  I  have  given  similar  cuts 
a  hundred  times;  now  it  is  my  turn,  and  I  don't  com- 
plain. Only  one  thing  troubles  me.  Neither  arnica 
nor  ice-bandages  can  do  me  any  good ;  but  you  who 
have  caused  this  suffering  can  mitigate  it.  Confess, 
now,  that  you  have  been  in  the  army." 

"  Without  doubt,"  returned  Ivan.  "  During  the  War 
of  Freedom  I  was  lieutenant  of  hussars." 

"  May  the  devil  fetch  you  !  Why  didn't  you  tell  us 
before?     In  what  regiment  did  you  serve?" 

"In  the  Wilhelm  Hussars.  Therefore  I  am  the  sole 
survivor  and  witness  of  that  memorable  exploit  of  yours, 
when  you  cut  us  to  pieces." 


TWO    POINTS 


231 


Everybody  burst  out  laughing.  No  one  laughed  more 
than  the  wounded  man.  The  doctors  reminded  him 
that  he  must  not  laugh,  else  the  bandage  over  his  face 
would  get  disturbed. 

"  Very  good,"  said  Salista.  "  I  shall  laugh  only  on 
one  side  of  my  face.  Comrade,  God  bless  you  !  I  shall 
not  think  any  more  of  the  cut  now  that  I  know  it  was 
the  work  of  a  soldier,  and  not  of  a  civilian.  Come,  kiss 
me  on  the  other  cheek,  the  one  you  have  left  me  whole 
and  entire.  So,  my  brother.  I  cannot  give  you  my 
right  hand,  for  you  have  given  me  a  cross-cut  there  that 
will  show  a  scar  for  many  a  day.  It  was  first-rate,  that 
cut,  a  regular  hussar  cut,  and,  therefore,  I  don't  in  the 
least  mind  it." 

And  the  combatants  kissed  one  another. 

The  next  moment  the  wounds  began  to  bleed  afresh, 
and  Salista  fainted  from  loss  of  blood.  Ivan  held  his 
head  upon  his  knees  while  the  doctors  bound  up  the 
veins  ;  then  he  helped  to  carry  him  to  the  carriage. 

Every  one  said,  "  What  a  capital  fellow  1" 


CHAPTER   XVI 
GOOD-BYE 

The  friends  and  acquaintances  of  both  parties  were 
assembled  at  Count  Stefan's  to  hear  the  result  of  the 
duel.  The  seconds  on  both  sides  had  promised  to 
come  and  give  the  earliest  news.  All  the  habitues  of 
society  were  waiting  ;  there  was  suppressed  excitement ; 
bets  were  made  upon  which  should  be  wounded,  and 
whether  Salista  would  give  a  heavy  wound  or  only  a 
slight  scratch  to  his  adversary.  Count  Stefan  had  the 
courage  to  bet  ten  to  one  that  Salista  would  get  a 
scratch  ;  he  also  risked  "  even  money  "  that  the  marquis 
would  be  the  only  one  wounded.  That  Ivan  would 
escape  with  a  whole  skin  no  one  else  for  an  instant 
imagined.  If  they  had  done  so  they  might  have  offered 
a  hundred  to  one,  and  even  at  that  no  one  of  the  party 
would  have  taken  the  bet. 

The  outposts  planted  themselves  at  the  windows,  to 
be  the  first  to  see  the  carriage  with  the  seconds.  When 
a  cab  drove  up,  they  shouted  to  the  others: 

"  Edmund  and  Geza  have  arrived  !" 

"Then  I  have  won  my  bet,"  said  Count  Stefan  ;  "the 
seconds  of  the  man  who  is  least  hurt  get  away  first." 

Count  Edmund  went  to  the  countess's  apartment  to 
let  her  know  what  had  happened,  while  Geza  ascended 
to  Count  Stefan's  rooms.  He  rushed  in  wdth  the  trium- 
phant air  a  victorious  second  should  have. 


GOOD-BYE  233 

"He  has  put  him  to  the  sword." 

"  Who  ?  Who  ?  Ivan  ?  Salista  ?"  cried  the  company, 
surrounding  the  messenger  in  their  excitement. 

"  Ivan  has  put  the  marquis." 

An  "A-ah!"  was  the  incredulous  rejoinder  of  the 
others. 

"  But  I  tell  you  he  has,"  repeated  the  young  count ; 
"he  has  cut  him  into  a  jelly." 

"  And  Ivan  ?" 

"  He  is  as  untouched  as  I  am." 

"  Ah,  you  are  making  fun  of  us." 

"It  is  no  subject  for  fun.     Ask  Salista." 

"  But  where  is  Ivan  ,''" 

"He  v'ill  be  here  immediately,  and  will  convince  the 
unbelievers,  who  will  find  no  wounds  into  which  they 
can  poke  their  fingers.  He  went  home  with  the  doc- 
tors, for  Salista  had  two,  who  have  at  last  succeeded  in 
stitching  him  together." 

Then  he  related  to  them  circumstantially  all  that  had 
happened.  For  those  who  did  not  clearly  understand, 
he  demonstrated  with  the  help  of  two  walking-sticks  the 
course  the  duel  took.     He  came  to  the  double-cut. 

"  In  this  way  Ivan  parried  the  stomach-thrust  and 
gave  the  fore-cut — the  final  a  tetnpo  contre  coup.  The 
performer  of  these  wonderful  exploits  had  not  even 
turned  a  hair." 

"  Why,  he  is  a  miracle  !" 

"  No  such  thing,"  protested  Count  Geza.  "  He  has 
been  in  the  army — captain  in  the  hussars."  (He  ad- 
vanced him  a  grade,  but  captain  sounds  belter  than  lieu- 
tenant.) "  He  fought  all  through  the  revolution  ;  he 
was  nineteen  times  in  action,  and  fought  with  the  Cos- 
sacks besides.  He  has  also  received  a  good-service 
medal." 


234 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


All  this  the  count  imagined  might  be  the  fact,  al- 
though he  had  certainly  not  heard  a  word  of  such  a  his- 
tory from  Ivan.  Once  a  man  has  scored  one  success, 
he  is  credited  with  twenty  more. 

"  Truly  a  wonderful  man  !"  said  Baron  Oscar.  "  For 
three  months  he  has  been  among  us  every  day,  and 
has  never  mentioned  his  soldiering  experiences." 

"  Now  we  have  really  landed  him  upon  us,  like  a  Sind- 
bad  that  can  never  be  shaken  off,"  remarked  Baron  Ed- 
ward. "  We  wanted  to  be  rid  of  him,  and  instead  we  have 
raised  him  into  the  saddle.  He  will  never  dismount ; 
he  is  saddled  on  us  forever.  No  one  would  dare  now 
to  speak  to  him." 

"  Good  God  of  Saxony  !"  cried  Baron  Oscar,  "  how  the 
man  will  carry  his  nose  in  the  air !  There  wii^  be  no 
standing  him,  for  the  women  will,  of  course,  mak<?  the 
deuce  of  a  fuss  about  him,  and  men  must  have  a  certain 
respect  for  him.  Sacre  bleu  !  A  man  who  can  shoot 
and  fence  like  this  fellow  !  But  I  would  bet  anything 
that  it  was  a  mere  accident." 

"  I  think  quite  the  contrary,"  remarked  Count  Stefan, 
"  and  I  very  much  fear  that  Ivan  will  leave  us  all  cool- 
ing our  heels  here,  and  not  show  his  face.  He  will  never 
cross  any  of  our  thresholds  again." 

"Oh,  he  wouldn't  be  such  a  confounded  fool !  I  bet 
you  a  hundred  to  one." 

"  First  pay  me  the  bet  you  have  lost." 

Baron  Oscar  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  but  before 
he  drew  out  his  pocket-book  a  happy  thought  struck 
him. 

"  But  how  if  Geza  and  his  brother  second  were  play- 
ing off  a  joke .?  They  may  have  concocted  this  story. 
Perhaps  the  truth  is  that  at  the  last  moment  the  quarrel 
was  made  up  and  there  was  no  duel,  and  that  they  have 


GOOD-BYE  235 

both  come  from  a  luncheon  where  no  blood,  but  plenty 
of  champagne,  flowed." 

"  If  you  don't  believe  me,  then  drive  to  Salista.  My 
cab  is  at  the  door.     Go  and  convince  yourself." 

The  baron  rushed  off.  On  the  staircase  he  met  Count 
Edmund  coming  up  from  the  ladies.  He  asked  where 
Oscar  was  rushing  in  such  haste. 

"  He  doesn't  believe  Geza's  story." 

"That  is  just  the  way  the  ladies  have  treated  me; 
they  won't  believe  me.  They  say, '  If  nothing  has  hap- 
pened to  Ivan,  where  is  he  ?'  The  Countess  Theude- 
linde  sheds  tears  like  a  river;  she  execrates  us  all,  and 
declares  we  have  killed  her  hero.  The  cuckoo  only 
knows  which  of  the  two  ladies  is  the  most  in  love  with  him. 
Up  to  this  I  thought  I  knew,  but  now  I  am  all  in  the  dark." 

Baron  Oscar  returned  at  this  moment.  He  didn't  say 
a  word,  but  took  out  his  pocket-book  and  paid  Count 
Stefan  his  bet.     It  was  a  very  convincing  answer. 

"Well,  how  is  Salista.^"  asked  several  voices  together. 

"  He  is  terribly  disfigured." 

On  this  every  one  took  out  their  purses  and  paid 
their  lost  bets  ;  they  did  it  with  very  sour  faces.  If  only 
Ritter  Magnet  had  been  disfigured  ! 

Just  then  Ivan  was  announced.  The  sour  faces 
changed  with  marvellous  rapidity  into  friendly  smiles. 
He  was  greeted  wMrmly;  every  one  wanted  to  shake 
hands  with  him.  He  was  the  hero  of  the  hour,  but  he 
looked  tired  and  very  serious.  Count  Stefan  was  the 
last  to  press  his  hand. 

"  I  rejoice,"  he  said,  "  to  see  you  uninjured." 

Two  young  fellows  said  to  one  another,  "Old  Stefan 
may  very  well  rejoice ;  he  has  made  a  good  thing  of  the 
handicap,  and  cleared  us  out  jollily."  But  in  spite  of 
their  losses,  they,  too,  congratulated  the  victor. 


236  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Every  one  seemed  pleased  except,  perhaps,  Ivan.  "  I 
thank  you  all,"  he  said,  in  his  grave  voice,  "for  your 
warm  sympathy;  and  I  thank  you,  count,  in  particular, 
for  your  cordial  reception,  and  for  the  friendship  which 
you  have  accorded  to  me.  I  shall  always  preserve  a 
grateful  remembrance  of  your  kindness.  I  beg  of  you 
to  bear  me  likewise  in  your  recollection,  for  I  have  come 
now  to  take  leave.  I  am  returning  to  my  home  to-mor- 
row." 

The  count  winked  with  his  left  eye  at  Baron  Oscar, 
as  who  should  say,  "  Did  I  not  tell  you  so  ?"  But  he 
spoke  no  word  to  induce  Ivan  to  rescind  his  resolution. 
He  pressed  his  hand  warmly  as  he  said : 

"Be  assured  that  I  have  a  sincere  esteem  for  you, 
and  wherever  we  may  meet  again  always  consider  me  as 
an  old  friend.     God  bless  you  !" 

Baron  Oscar  made  much  more  fuss.  He  held  Ivan 
with  both  hands  on  his  arm. 

"  My  dear  friend,  we  cannot  allow  this.  Such  a  good 
fellow  as  you  have  proved  yourself  to  be  cannot  slip 
away  from  us  in  this  manner — just  at  the  moment,  too, 
when  you  are  going  to  be  the  lion  of  the  season.  You 
sha'n't  escape  ;  you  belong  to  us." 

Ivan  laughed ;  gentle  sarcasm,  half  pain,  half  irony, 
totally  unmixed  with  bitterness,  was  in  the  laugh.  Then 
he  answered  this  burst  of  friendship  : 

"  I  thank  you,  comrade,  for  the  honor  you  do  me,  but 
I  am  not  fit  to  be  Governor  of  Barataria;  it  is  far  better 
for  me  to  be  at  home.  I  go  to  get  my  '  grison  '  saddled, 
and  I  ride  away." 

(Any  one  who  is  conversant  with  "  Don  Quixote  "  will 
remember  the  skit  upon  the  island  of  Barataria,  and  the 
affecting  meeting  between  the  ass  and  his  master.) 

When  he  had  finished  speaking,  Ivan  made  a  deep 


GOOD-BYE  237 

bow  to  the  company  and  left  the  room.  Count  Stefan 
followed  him,  and,  in  spite  of  his  protestations,  accom- 
panied him  down  the  stairs  to  Theudelinde's  door.  He 
was  much  moved  by  Ivan's  last  words. 

When  he  returned  he  found  the  entire  company  still 
in  a  very  uncomfortable  frame  of  mind,  discussing  the 
scene  that  had  just  happened  with  much  annoyance. 

"  Who  has  told  him  the  joke  about  the  island  of 
Barataria .?"  asked  Baron  Oscar. 

Each  one  gave  his  word  of  honor  that  he  had  not  be- 
trayed confidence. 

"  Then  may  the  devil  fly  away  with  me  if  I  don't  be- 
lieve it  was  the  abbe'." 

But  Count  Stefan  shook  his  head.  "  No,  my  friends," 
he  said,  "  believe  me,  no  one  has  told  Behrend  any- 
thing. He  is  a  man  of  acute  penetration,  and  he  has 
read  you  like  a  book  without  appearing  to  take  notice." 

Geza,  however,  swore  that  the  priest  had  blabbed. 

We  swear  to  nothing,  but  think  it  right  to  mention 
that  a  few  days  previous  the  Abbe  Samuel  had  received 
a  letter  from  Vienna  with  the  words,  "  W'hat  are  you 
about  ?  You  are  ruining  the  whole  thing.  That  ass 
Behrend  is  bringing  about  a  reconciliation  between  the 
countess  and  the  old  prince.  Get  him  out  of  Pesth,  for 
he  is  working  dead  against  us. — Felix." 

"At  all  events,  we  have  pleased  my  pretty  cousin,"  re- 
marked Count  Edmund.  "  She  wanted  him  to  be  sent 
about  his  business,  and  we  have  done  it." 

"  Oh,  is  that  so  ?"  And  Count  Stefan  smiled  sardon- 
ically. "  Cherchez  la  femme,  as  Talleyrand  said.  But  I 
know  the  dear,  capricious  sex.  When  Ivan  tells  the 
ladies  down-stairs  that  he  is  leaving,  there  will  be  a  re- 
action, and  your  pretty  cousin  will  cry  out,  '  Then  we 
shall  go  together!' " 


238  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  Others  laughed  incredulously;  only  Edmund  as- 
sumed the  air  of  Pontius  Pilate. 

"  I  should  not  be  surprised,"  he  said.  ^^  Enfin^  there 
would  be  nothing  disgraceful  in  the  affair.  The  fellow 
is  a  gentleman ;  he  was  a  soldier,  and  is  of  good  birth. 
His  land  joins  the  Bondavara  property  ;  his  income  is 
something  under  two  hundred  thousand  florins.  Angela 
is  heiress  to  twenty  millions ;  but  then,  if  our  w^ell-be- 
loved  uncle,  Prince  Theobald,  lives  another  ten  years 
and  carries  on  as  he  is  doing,  it  may  result  that  Ivan 
and  Angela  may  be  on  the  same  platform  as  regards 
their  fortunes.  So  far  as  rank  is  in  question,  if  the 
government  continues  to  play  the  game  they  are  playing 
with  our  rights  and  privileges,  and  if  under  the  new  par- 
liamentary regime  the  peasant's  coat  is  to  ascend  the 
tribune,  then  I  shall  ask  to  be  raised  \q  the  peasantry." 

The  Countesses  Theudelinde  and  Angela  received 
Ivan  in  their  private  sitting-room — a  mark  of  close  in- 
timacy. He  came  in  with  a  constrained  air;  his  face 
was  pale,  and  the  emotion  he  could  not  suppress  gave 
softness  to  his  usually  stern  expression.  Theudelinde 
came  to  meet  him  with  outstretched  hands.  When  she 
drew  near  she  took  his  in  her  clasp,  and  pressed  his 
lingers  warmly.  Her  lips  trembled,  and  with  difficulty 
she  kept  the  tears  which  filled  her  eyes  from  coursing 
down  her  cheeks.  She  could  not  speak,  but  simply 
nodded  to  Ivan  to  take  his  place  before  a  small  table, 
upon  which  a  splendid  bouquet  stood.  Theudelinde 
sat  on  the  sofa,  Angela  beside  her.  The  young  countess 
was  simply  dressed  ;  she  had  not  even  a  flower  in  her 
hair.     She  was  grave,  and  hardly  raised  her  eyes  to  Ivan. 

It  was  Theudelinde  who  broke  the  rather  embarrass- 
ins:  silence. 


GOOD-BYE  239 

*'We  have  been  in  terrible  trouble  about  you,"  she 
said.  "  You  cannot  imagine  what  tortures  of  anxiety  we 
have  gone  through  during  these  two  days." 

Angela's  eyes  were  on  the  carpet;  she  was  included 
in  the  "  we." 

*'  I  cannot  forgive  myself,  countess,  for  the  share  I 
have  had  in  causing  you  pain.  I  can  only  do  penance 
for  my  fault,  and  to-morrow  I  am  going  into  banishment 
at  Bondathal." 

"Ah  !"  Theudelinde's  voice  expressed  surprise.  "You 
are  going  to  leave  us  ?  \\'hat  are  you  going  to  do  in 
Bondathal  ?" 

"  I  will  return  to  my  business,  which  I  have  too  long 
neglected." 

"And  do  you  like  to  live  in  Bondathal?" 

"I  am  tranquil  there." 

"  Have  you  relatives  V^ 

"  I  have  none." 

"You  have  a  household?" 

"  So  far  as  I  can,  I  do  everything  for  myself." 

"  You  have  surely  friends  and  acquaintances  who  form 
a  pleasant  circle  around  you?" 

"  I  have  only  my  workmen  and  my  machines." 

"You  live  there  a  hermifs  life?" 

"No,  countess,  for  a  hermit  lives  alone,  while  I  have 
my  books  and  my  work;  I  am  never  alone." 

The  countess's  face  assumed  almost  a  solemn  ex- 
pression. 

"  Herr  von  Behrend,  give  me  your  hand,  and  stay  here." 

Ivan  got  up,  and  bowed  low  before  her.  "  The  kind 
feeling  which  has  prompted  your  words,  as  well  as  the 
honor  you  have  done  me,  shall  never  be  forgotten  by 
me.  It  is  a  proof  to  me  of  your  great  goodness,  and  I 
beg  of  you  to  accept  my  heartfelt  thanks." 


240  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"Then  you  will  remain  ?     How  long  ?" 

^' Until  to-morrow  morning." 

"  Ah,"  cried  the  countess,  with  a  petulant  air,  "  when 
I  ask  you  to  stay  !" 

Her  disappointment  was  so  transparent,  her  annoyance 
so  sincere,  that  it  was  impossible  not  to  feel  sorry  for 
her.  Theudelinde  looked  at  Angela  as  if  she  expected 
her  to  come  to  her  help ;  but  Angela  never  raised  her 
eyes,  shaded  by  their  long  lashes,  while  her  fingers 
plucked  nervously  at  the  petals  of  a  marguerite,  as  if  she 
were  consulting  that  well-known  oracle. 

"  Countess,"  said  Ivan,  still  standing,  and  with  his 
hand  on  the  back  of  his  chair,  "  when  I  answer  a  friend- 
ly invitation  such  as  yours  with  an  apparently  uncivil 
refusal  to  remain,  as  you  so  kindly  wish  me  to  do,  I 
feel  that  it  is  incumbent  on  me  to  give  you  my  true 
reason  for  withdrawing  myself  from  youV  society.  I 
cannot  say  to  you  what  I  would  to  a  mere  acquaintance ; 
I  cannot  make  such  excuses  as  'that  I  have  business 
at  home;  that  I  have  been  too  long  here;  that  I  shall 
return  soon.'  To  you  I  must  confess  that  I  go  away 
because  no  inducement  would  prevail  on  me  to  remain, 
and  that  when  I  go  I  mean  never  to  return.  Countess, 
this  is  not  my  world;  here  I  could  not  live.  I  have 
spent  three  months  here ;  I  have  been  a  daily  guest 
in  the  best  circles;  I  have  lived  with  members  of  the 
highest  and  most  cultivated  society,  have  studied  close- 
ly their  manner  of  life.  I  quite  agree  that  these  people 
have  every  right  to  live  in  what  manner  they  choose ; 
but  I,  who  have  been  accustomed  to  a  totally  different 
manner  of  life,  who  have  been  taught  to  consider  ex- 
istence from  a  different  point  of  view,  to  reverence  the 
higher  aims  and  obey  its  finer  instincts,  /  should  be 
acting  a  He  and  violating  my  own  principles  were  I  to 


GOOD-BYE  241 

remain  in  such  an  atmosphere  and  live  after  such  a 
fashion.  Here,  in  this  exalted  rank,  you  are  all  solitary 
rings,  while  we  in  the  lower  order  hang  together  as  links 
of  one  chain.  You  are  totally  independent  one  of  the 
other,  therefore  you  follow  each  one  his  own  inclina- 
tions. With  us  the  pressure  of  life  knits  us  more  closely 
together,  and  we  call  egotism  and  generosity  by  differ- 
ent names  from  what  you  do.  I  am,  therefore,  not  fit 
for  your  circle.  I  am  ashamed  to  be  haughty  towards 
those  upon  whom  you  look  down,  and  I  cannot  bend 
before  those  whom  you  delight  to  honor.  I  do  not 
recognize  the  gods  whom  you  adore,  neither  can  I 
mock  at  77iy  God,  and  ignore  Him  as  you  do.  In  this 
world  of  yours  there  is  a  malicious  demon  who  trans- 
forms all  that  is  good  in  man's  nature,  and  who  prompts 
him  to  laugh  and  deny  every  inclination  to  virtue.  Who 
tells  his  friend  or  neighbor  the  truth  to  his  face,  and 
who  cares  for  any  one  who  is  not  present  ?  Dear  friends 
race  together  over  hill  and  dale;  but  suppose  one  makes 
a  false  step  and  breaks  his  neck,  good-bye  to  him,  the 
dear  friend  is  gone.  Another  does  not  break  his  neck 
in  the  race,  but  he  dissipates  all  his  fortune ;  those  who 
are  running  with  him  never  say  to  him,  '  Step  out  of 
the  course ;  you  are  going  to  the  bottom.'  All  at  once 
he  stumbles,  and  his  fortune  and  the  honors  of  his  an- 
cestors lie  tumbled  in  the  dust.  Good-bye  to  him ;  his 
name  is  struck  out  of  the  club-list ;  that  dear  friend  is 
no  more.  It  is  true  we  knew  yesterday  and  the  day  be- 
fore yesterday  that  he  would  surely  get  a  bad  fall,  but 
no  one  else  knew  of  it,  so  we  rode  with  our  dear  friend 
to  the  last.  Now  all  the  world  is  aware  of  his  tumble 
in  the  dust,  therefore  we  know  him  no  more.  If  any 
one  wishes  to  go  on  his  own  way,  and  live  a  rational  life 
to  himself,  oh,  then,  he   is  a  coward,  a   miser,  a  carpet 


242  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

knight !  And  how  do  the  women  fare  in  this  world  of 
yours  ?  What  about  domestic  life,  and  the  sweet  joys 
of  the  home?  What  tragedies  are  enacted  inside  those 
splendid  mansions,  and  outside  what  fun  is  made  of 
them  by  friends  and  acquaintances  !  What  refinement 
in  sin !  what  idolatry  of  false  joys !  And  when  these 
are  over,  what  ennui  of  life,  what  endless  weariness ! 
No,  countess,  this  life  is  not  for  me.  I  should  be  poi- 
soned in  such  an  atmosphere.  You  can  bear  it ,  you  grace 
it  by  your  presence ;  but  for  me,  I  should  go  mad  were 
I  to  remain.  Therefore  I  go,  and  all  that  is  now  left 
is  to  ask  your  forgiveness  for  my  bold  words.  I  ac- 
knowledge my  indiscretion  ;  I  have  spoken  bitterly  of 
society,  and  yet  I  stand  on  its  parquet  floor,  I  have 
been  ungrateful ;  I  have  given  expression  to  my  antipa- 
thies in  the  presence  of  those  who  have  shown  toler- 
ance towards  my  faults  and  my  awkward  manners;  who 
have  accompanied  me  to  the  door  of  the  circle  where  I 
have  often  played  a  ridiculous  part,  and,  notwithstand- 
ing, have  never  been  laughed  at  before  my  face.  But, 
countess,  the  words  I  have  uttered  I  have  felt,  so  to 
speak,  constrained  by  your  goodness  to  say.  You  have, 
with  extraordinary  kindness,  asked  me  to  remain,  and  I 
would  prove  to  you  that  I  am  forced  to  leave  by  a  power 
stronger  than  myself." 

During  Ivan's  rather  lengthy  address  Countess  Theu- 
delinde  had  risen  to  her  feet.  Her  eyes  began  to  light  up, 
her  face  to  wear  a  glorified  expression,  her  lips  to  move 
as  if  she  repeated  each  word  he  said  ;  and  when  he  had 
spoken  the  concluding  sentence  she  seized  both  his 
hands,  while  she  stammered  out : 

"You  speak  the  truth — the  truth^nothing  but  the 
truth;  you  speak  as  I  spoke  forty  years  ago,  when  /left 
the  world  as  you  are  doing  now !     The  world  is  ever  the 


GOOD-BYE  243 

same;  it  does  not  change."  Here  she  wrung  her  hands 
passionately.  "Go  home,"  she  sobbed  out;  "go  back 
to  your  solitude,  hide  yourself  under  the  earth,  conceal 
yourself  in  your  mine,  God  will  be  with  you  wherever 
you  are — everywhere  !    God  bless  you !    God  bless  you  !" 

She  did  not  remark  that  Angela  had  also  risen  from 
her  seat,  and  as  Ivan  took  his  leave  she  made  a  step  for- 
ward, and  said,  in  a  firm,  decided  voice  : 

"If  you  go  away,  you  do  not  go  alone,  for  I  shall  go 
with  you."  Her  whole  face  glowed  as  she  spoke  these 
words. 

IVan  was  master  of  the  situation.  Standing  upon  this 
giddy  height,  he  did  not  for  that  reason  lose  his  balance. 
With  wonderful  presence  of  mind  he  answered  the  ex- 
cited girl : 

"  You  will  do  well,  countess.  To-morrow  is  your 
grandfather's  birthday,  and  early  to-morrow  you  can  be 
with  him.     He  is  ready  to  clasp  you  in  his  arms." 

Angela  grew  white  as  a  marble  statue.  She  sank  back 
in  her  armchair ;  the  leaves  she  had  plucked  from  the 
flower  lay  scattered  at  her  feet.  Ivan  bowed  to  her 
respectfully,  kissed  the  hand  of  Countess  Theudelinde, 
and  quitted  the  room. 

Ah,  there  are  men  who  never  forget  their  first  and  only 
love  ! 

Not  long  after  Ivan  had  left,  Count  Edmund  dropped 
in  to  see  the  ladies.  He  appeared  to  come  by  accident, 
but  he  was  dying  with  curiosity.  Countess  Angela  was 
more  amiable  than  usual.  When  he  was  leaving,  she 
said  to  her  cousin  : 

"Go  to  Salista,  and  tell  him  that  I  have  inquired  for 
him." 

Count  Edmund  was  courtier  enough  to  conceal  the 


244  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

ast(>mT>liment  he  most  certainly  felt,  but  as  he  went 
clown  the  stairs  he  began  to  hum  Figaro's  song  from  the 
Barber  of  Seville : 

' '  The  falseness  of  women 
One  never  can  know, 
One  never  can  know  !" 


Countess  Angela  wTote  that  same  evening  to  her  grand- 
fatlier.  Ivan  was  right  in  saying  the  next  clay  was  his 
birthday,  and  this  was  her  birthday  greeting  : 

"  I  am  not  coming  home.     Adieu." 

For  two  days  every  one  in  Pesth  spoke  of  Ivan  and 
his  duel  with  Salista ;  tlie  third  day  he  was  forgotten. 
Good-bye  to  him  ! 


CHAPTER    XVII 
THE    LAST    REHEARSAL 

On  the  morning  of  his  birthday  Prince  Theobald  re- 
ceived a  letter.  It  was  from  his  only  grandchild,  and 
ended  with  the  word  "Adieu." 

The  prince's  birthday  had  been  always  a  festival. 
From  Angela's  childhood  up  to  the  last  anniversary  of 
the  day  she  had  each  year  given  him  a  remembrance. 
On  this  day  it  had  been  a  bitter  gift. 

Among  his  treasures  the  old  man  kept  a  particular 
casket,  handsomely  fitted  with  gold  mountings,  in  which 
he  preserved  these  birthday  offerings.  There  was  the 
wreath  Angela  had  given  him  when  she  was  nine  years 
old  ;  the  scrawl  she  had  written  in  her  childish  hand- 
writing on  a  sheet  of  Bristol-board ;  the  bit  of  embroid- 
ery, worked  in  pearls  and  gold,  which  later  she  had  done 
for  him  with  her  own  hand.  To  these  gifts  the  prince, 
with  a  deep  sigh,  added  her  last  letter,  with  its  cold 
farewell. 

Prince  Theobald  was  easily  moved  to  anger,  while 
his  heart  was  sensitive  to  affection.  When  he  reflected 
calmly  he  found  he  had  every  right  to  exact  obedience 
from  his  granddaughter.  Angela  owed  a  duty  to  him, 
to  his  position,  to  the  princely  house  from  which  she 
sprang.  If,  indeed,  her  heart  stood  in  the  way  of  agree- 
ing to  his  wishes,  one  might,  perhaps,  excuse  her;  but 
Angela,  he  knew,  loved  no  one.     Why,  therefore,  should 


246  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

she  seek  to  defy  him  for  a  mere  foolish  whim  ?  Prince 
Theobald  went  to  Eveline's  last  rehearsal  with  his  mind 
in  a  tumult  of  annoyance  and  excitement;  his  blood 
circulated  wildly.  He  could  send  a  strange  answer  to 
her  farewell.     Yes,  and  he  would  ! 

When  he  reached  Eveline's  house  the  servant  ad- 
mitted him  as  a  favored  habitue,  without  a  word,  and 
left  him  in  the  drawling-room  while  he  went  to  announce 
him  to  his  mistress.  The  prince  looked  round  him  ;  it 
was  the  room  where  Eveline  usually  gave  her  represen- 
tations. The  rose-colored  curtains  were  drawn,  one 
corner  was  filled  with  greenhouse  exotics,  the  air  was 
perfumed  with  the  scent  of  the  flowers.  In  another 
corner  two  turtle-doves  cooed  melodiously,  while  from 
behind  a  little  bosquet  a  nightingale  sang  its  soft  stave 
of  love,  sorrow,  and  triumph.  One  could  hardly  imag- 
ine one's  self  in  an  ordinary  drawing-room;  it  was  more 
like  the  throne  of  a  nymph,  or  fairy,  in  the  depth  of  a 
wood. 

The  prince  seated  himself  upon  a  sofa,  and,  taking  up 
an  album  which  lay  upon  the  table,  he  turned  over  the 
leaves.  It  was  a  collection  of  photographs  of  Eveline  in 
her  different  parts.  He  went  through  it  from  cover  to 
cover,  examining  each  tempting  and  seductive  portrait 
carefully,  and  as  he  did  so  there  rose  before  his  memory 
the  casket  in  which  Angela's  letters  and  embroidery 
were  preserved.  His  thoughts  were  so  absorbed  in 
these  recollections  that,  with  a  start,  he  found  himself  at 
the  last  page  in  the  book  before  him.  He  roused  him- 
self to  look  at  the  beautiful  figure  in  a  common  stuff 
frock.     How  captivating,  how  simple,  how  lovely  ! 

The  nightingale  sang,  the  doves  cooed,  the  air  grew 
heavy  with  the  scent  of  the  pomegranates.  The  prince 
wondered  in  what  form  of  enchantment  would  his  hostess 


THE    LAST    REHEARSAL  247 

appear.  And  now  there  fell  on  his  ear,  coming  from  a 
distance,  a  forgotten  tune.  Once  he  had  heard  it,  long 
ago ;  but  the  air  he  remembered.  It  moved  him  strangely. 
It  was  a  simple  volkslied,  the  same  with  which  the  nurse 
was  wont  to  rock  the  cradle  of  Angela  when  she  was  a 
baby — a  Slav  tune.     The  text  was  unknown  to  him. 

After  a  few  minutes  the  song  ceased,  the  door  of  Ev- 
eline's dressing-room  opened,  and  she  came  in  —  and 
how.''  In  what  new  and  captivating  costume  did  she 
appear  ? 

She  wore  a  simple  white-and-black  dress  of  crape 
cloth  ;  her  hair  was  smoothly  combed  back  from  her' 
young  face,  and  hung  down  in  a  long  plait;  a  white  lace 
collar  was  round  her  throat. 

Softly,  modestly,  and  yet  with  the  confidence  of  a 
child,  she  drew  near  to  the  prince,  and  when  she  was 
close  to  him  she  handed  him  a  little  sachet  of  white 
satin,  upon  which  was  embroidered  the  kneeling  figure 
of  a  child.  Then  raising  her  eyes,  full  of  tears,  to  his 
face,  she  said,  in  a  low  voice,  wifich  trembled  with  emo- 
tion : 

"  My  lord,  will  you  accept  this  little  birthday  gift  from 
me  ?     May  Heaven  preserve  your  days." 

This  scene  was  so  devoid  of  all  acting,  it  was  so  full 
of  feeling  and  sincerity,  that  Prince  Theobald,  thrown 
off  his  guard,  forgot  himself,  and,  instead  of  the  formal 
"  madame,"  said : 

"  My  child—" 

At  these  words  the  young  girl,  sobbing  wildly,  threw 
herself  into  his  arms. 

"Oh,  prince,"  she  cried,  "do  not  recall  those  words; 
call  me  your  child.  There  is  on  this  earth  no  creature 
more  desolate,  more  unhappy  than  I  am." 

Prince  Theobald  laid  his  hand  kindly  upon  the  fair 


248  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

head  of  the  sobbing  girl  and  kissed  her  gently  on  the 
forehead. 

"  Be  it  so,"  he  said.  "  Look  up  and  smile,  Eveline. 
I  am  in  earnest.  You  are  almost  a  child,  and  you  shall 
be  one  to  me.  I  will  be  your  father — no,  your  grand- 
father. Fathers  love  their  children  sometimes,  but  not 
always  ;  but  grandfathers  never  fail  in  loving  their  grand- 
children. You  shall  be  my  little  granddaughter.  When 
I  am  sad  you  will  cheer  me  with  your  gay  chatter ;  you 
will  read  or  sing  to  me  when  I  cannot  sleep ;  you  will 
care  for  me  and  nurse  me  when  I  am  ill.  I  shall  adopt 
you  as  my  child.  I  shall  take  care  of  you,  and  provide 
you  with  all  that  you  want.  In  return  you  will  obey  me; 
you  will  listen  to  me  ;  you  wall  bear  with  an  old  man's 
whims  and  his  petulant  temper  ;  you  will  try  and  please 
me.  I  promise  you  that  you  shall  be  treated  well.  You 
shall  be  mistress  over  all  that  I  have ;  you  shall  have 
everything  suitable  to  the  position  of  my  daughter ;  but 
I  must  exact  the  obedience  of  a  child." 

Eveline  answered  by  kissing  her  benefactor's  hand. 

"  Are  you  pleased  at  my  proposal  ?  Do  you  think  you 
will  be  happy  ?" 

Eveline  laughed  in  childish  delight.  She  danced  about 
the  room  in  her  joy,  and  fell  down  at  the  prince's  feet, 
crying  out : 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  dear  grandpapa  !" 

Prince  Theobald  threw  himself  back  on  the  sofa  and 
burst  into  a  harsh,  bitter  laugh. 

Eveline  drew  back,  hurt  and  frightened  by  the  horrid 
discord  in  the  laugh. 

"  I  am  not  laughing  at  you,  my  dear,"  said  the  prince, 
kindly.  "  Come,  my  pretty  granddaughter,  and  sit  be- 
side me."  (He  had  laughed  at  the  answer  he  could  now 
make  to  Angela's  farewell.)     He  stroked  Eveline's  hair 


THE    LAST    REHEARSAL  249 

tenderly.  "  Now  we  must  talk  seriously.  Listen  to  what 
I  have  to  say,  for  my  words  are  commands.  In  <97/r  fam- 
ily there  is  only  one  master,  whom  all  obey.  First  of  all, 
there  is  your  husband  to  be  considered.  It  seems  to 
me  he  takes  the  responsibilities  of  his  position  lightly. 
Still,  he  must  give  his  consent  to  my  adoption  of  you. 
I  don't  apprehend,  however,  any  difficulty  in  obtaining 
it;  you  may  leave  that  to  me.  After  that  you  will  take 
up  your  residence  in  my  palace  in  the  Maximilian  Strasse. 
It  shall  be  yours  on  one  condition — that  you  receive  no 
visitors  without  previously  consulting  me.  Kaulmann 
is  included  in  this  condition.  You  must  have  no  inter- 
course with  him,  except  on  matters  of  business.  \\'ill  it 
pain  you  to  be  separated  from  him  ?" 

"  I  could  not  be  pained  by  that.  We  have  always 
lived  apart." 

The  prince  pressed  her  hand  kindly.  "Poor  child!" 
he  said.  "Your  husband  is  a  scoundrel.  He  has 
treated  you  as  one  of  his  speculations,  and  has  attained 
his  end.  One  thing,  however,  you  receive  from  him — 
his  name.  He  cannot  take  that  from  you.  B3--and-by 
you  will  learn  what  an  inestimable  advantage  it  is  to  a 
woman  to  bear  her  husband's  name.  It  is  a  passport; 
but  I  do  not  think  Kaulmann  meant  it  in  that  light. 
Well,  let  us  talk  no  more  of  him,  but  of  your  future.  I 
shall  procure  for  you  an  engagement  at  the  Opera- 
house.  You  must  have  a  certain  position  before  the 
world,  by  whom  the  secret  tie  between  us  would  not  be 
understood.  The  title  of  actress  is  like  the  mantle  of  a 
queen ;  it  gives  you  the  entree  to  the  salons  of  a  certain 
artistic  world.  Your  future  shall  be  my  care.  You  have 
talent ;  if  you  study  you  will  succeed.  You  must  rise 
to  the  head  of  your  profession,  so  that  when  I  die  you 
will  be  able  to  support  yourself." 


250 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


"  If  I  could  only  get  over  my  stage  -  fright !''  said 
Eveline,  sadly. 

"You  will  when  you  get  accustomed  to  the  footlights. 
You  will  learn  by  experience  that  in  this  world,  and 
especially  on  the  stage,  everyone  is  taken  at  his  own 
valuation.  Any  one  who  makes  little  of  himself  goes 
cheap.  Above  all,  you  must  be  most  careful  how  you 
choose  your  friends.  This  is  important,  and  on  this 
point  you  must  allow  me  to  judge  for  you.  If  3'ou  feel 
a  preference  for  any  one  person  you  must  tell  me  with 
frankness,  and  I  shall  know  whether  it  will  be  a  safe 
friendship  for  you." 

"  Oh,  prince,"  cried  Eveline,  "  I  shall  be  guided  in  all 
things  by  you!" 

"  My  child,  do  not  promise  too  much.  Engagements 
made  in  a  moment  of  enthusiasm  or  sentiment  are 
speedily  forgotten  ;  but  there  is  one  promise  I  would 
have  from  you.  There  is  one  man  whom  you  must  give 
your  word  to  me  that  you  will  never  receive — that  you 
will  never  break  the  seal  of  a  letter  that  comes  from 
him ;  that  you  will  never  accept  a  present  from  him, 
never  take  up  a  bouquet  he  may  throw  you,  never  notice 
his  applause.  This  man  must  not  exist  for  you ;  you 
must  take  as  little  notice  of  him  as  if  he  were  a  cross- 
ing-sweeper.    This  man  is  Prince  Waldemar." 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  already  hate  him.  I  shudder  at  his  ap- 
proach." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  He  deserves  every  good 
woman's  hatred ;  but  he  is  rich,  young,  handsome.  He 
raves  of  you.  Women  are  flattered  by  the  love  of  such 
as  he ;  and  circumstances  may  arise  to  alter  your  ideas. 
Wealth  has  a  wonderful  attraction,  and  poverty  is  a 
great  temptation.  The  time  must  come  when  I  shall 
no  longer  be  here.     You  must  swear  to  me  that  when  I 


THE    LAST    REHEARSAL 


251 


am  dead  or  removed  from  you  you  will  keep  your  oath 
to  accept  nothing  from  Prince  Waldemar." 

"  I  swear  it  to  you  by  what  is  most  sacred — the  mem- 
ory of  my  dead  mother." 

"  Now  allow  me  to  kiss  your  forehead.  I  am  going 
to  Kaulmann  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements.  I 
thank  you  for  your  remembrance  of  my  birthday.  Your 
little  present  has  made  me  rich.  I  came  here  in  a  very 
perturbed  state  of  mind ;  I  go  aw^iy  with  a  tranquil 
heart.  I  shall  always  be  grateful  to  you,  God  bless 
you !" 

Some  days  later  Eveline  removed  to  Prince  Theo- 
bald's palace  in  the  Maximilian  Strasse,  where  she  was 
surrounded  by  every  splendor  and  luxury. 

The  world  supposed — and  we  must  acknowledge  there 
was  reason  for  the  supposition — that  Kaulmann's  wife 
was  the  Prince's  mistress.  The  prince  imagined  that  he 
would  frighten  the  Countess  Angela  and  bring  her  to 
reason,  and  Eveline  thought  she  was  fulfilling  her  duty 
as  a  wife  when  she  obeyed  her  contemptible  husband 
by  sacrificing  her  good  name  to  further  his  ambitious 
schemes. 

At  this  time,  and  as  the  result  of  Eveline's  obedience, 
the  Joint-Stock  Mining  Company  received  the  assent  of 
Prince  Theobald  Bondavary  to  the  contract  already 
signed  by  his  sister.  Countess  Theudelinde. 

And  in  this  manner  the  Bondavara  property  passed 
away  from  the  last  two  possessors.  If  Countess  Angela 
had  followed  Ivan  Behrend's  advice  this  would  not  have 
happened,  and  the  property  would  have  been  hers. 

Why  was  the  Countess  Angela   so  obstinate  ?     Why 


252  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

did  she  behave  so  foolishly  as  regarded  her  own  inter- 
ests, so  ungratefully  towards  her  kind  grandfather  ?  A 
w^ord  must  be  said  in  her  defence.  This  Prince  Sonder- 
sheim,  whom  Prince  Theobald  wished  his  granddaughter 
to  take  as  her  husband,  was  the  same  Prince  Waldemar 
of  whom  mention  has  already  been  made.  Prince  Theo- 
bald knew  his  character  well.  We  have  heard  what  he 
said  to  Eveline.  The  world  had  the  worst  opinion  of 
him,  and  Angela  knew  what  the  world  thought  of  her 
future  husband. 

Was  it  any  wonder  she  refused  to  give  herself  to  such 
a  man  ?  Could  she  act  otherwise  than  she  did  }  Wom- 
en are  the  best  judges  on  this  point.  Men  cannot  wit- 
ness against  themselves. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 
FINANCIAL    WISDOM 

The  Bondavara  Joint-Stock  Company  was  about  to 
issue  its  prospectus ;  the  speculation  had  been  adver- 
tised largel}^,  and  now  it  only  waited  the  necessary 
capital  of  ten  millions  to  start  the  railway  which  was 
to  put  the  finest  coal-mines  in  the  kingdom  within  the 
reach  of  the  markets  of  the  great  cities.  The  specula- 
tion did  not,  however,  attract  the  public.  Who  knows 
about  the  value  of  the  mine  ?  said  one.  Who  believes 
what  the  papers  say  ?  W^e  all  know  that  trick.  The 
gudgeons  held  off,  and  did  not  rise  to  the  bait  offered. 

One  day  Felix  Kaulmann  brought  one  of  the  directors 
to  see  Ivan  Behrend,  and  while  these  two  were  in  con- 
versation he  noticed,  lying  on  the  table,  a  piece  of 
coal  from  the  Bondavara  mine,  upon  which  was  dis- 
tinctly visible  the  outline  of  a  plant  about  the  size  of 
a  finger. 

"  Is  this  the  impression  of  an  antediluvian  bird's 
claw  ?"  he  asked. 

"No,"  returned  Ivan;  "it  is  a  petrified  plant." 

"Ah,  I  am  making  a  collection  of  petrifactions." 

"Then  take  that  to  add  to  it,"  said  Ivan,  carelessly. 

Felix  carried  away  the  piece  of  coal  in  his  pocket. 

Shortly  before  the  prospectus  was  issued  there  ap- 
peared in  one  of  the  best-known  scientific  journals  an 
illustration  and  article  descriptive  of  the  petrified  bird's 


254  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

foot  which  had  been  found  in  the  Bondavara  mine. 
The  article  was  signed  "  Doctor  Felicius." 

All  the  savants  were  excited.  "  We  must  see  this  im- 
pression !"  they  cried. 

The  discoverer  had  given  to  the  creature,  whose  foot- 
mark had  remained  unalterably  impressed  upon  the 
tender  (!)  coal,  the  learned  name  of  Frotoniithos  lithan- 
thracoides. 

"  Ho,  ho  !"  exclaimed  the  united  bodies  of  geologists, 
physiologists,  professors,  philosophers,  artisans,  and  ar- 
tesian-well borers,  "  that  is  indeed  a  long  word  !" 

One  set  of  learned  men  declared  the  thing  to  be  pos- 
sible, another  denied  its  possibility. 

And  why  was  it  not  possible  ?  Because  at  the  period 
of  coal-formaiions  neither  birds  nor  any  one  of  the 
mammalia  could  exist,  or  did  exist,  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth.  There  we  find  only  traces  of  plants,  of  mussels, 
of  fish  sometimes. 

And  why  is  it  credible?  Because  in  these  days  we 
make  discoveries  every  day.  Humboldt  declared  that 
in  the  antediluvian  world  no  apes  had  ever  lived,  for 
the  reason  that  the  fossil  of  an  ape  had  never  been 
found.  Since  then  one  fossil  ape  has  been  discovered 
in  England,  in  France  three  of  the  Ourang  species. 

By  degrees  the  strife  raged  in  every  newspaper;  it 
was  taken  up  in  English,  French,  German,  and  American 
publications.  At  last  it  was  proposed  that  the  matter 
should  be  referred  to  a  commission  of  five  well-known 
professors,  to  whom  the  petrifaction  should  be  sub- 
mitted, and  who  should  decide  the  question  in  dispute. 
Doctor  Felicius  offered  one  thousand  ducats  to  the  one 
who  would  prove  that  his  bird's  claw  was  not  a  bird's 
claw. 

The  tribunal  of  the  five  learned  judges  examined  the 


FINANCIAL    WISDOM  255 

petrifaction  with  microscopical  attention,  and  after  a  long 
sitting  brought  in  a  unanimous  verdict  that  the  impres- 
sion was  not  made  by  the  claw  of  a  Protornithos,  but 
was  that  of  a  leaf  belonging  to  the  plant  Annularia  longe- 
folia;  in  fact,  there  could  be  no  question  of  the  bird 
species,  as  the  specimen  of  coal  produced  was  not  brown 
coal,  but  X\iQ: pui'est  black,  in  which  coal  formation  it  was 
not  possible  for  even  a  bird  to  exist. 

Doctor  Felix  Kaulmann  quietly  paid  the  thousand 
ducats,  and  thanked  the  whole  republic  of  professors 
for  the  service  they  had  rendered  to  the  Bondavara  coal; 
such  an  advertisement  could  not  have  been  obtained  at 
an  expense  of  forty  thousand  ducats.  Let  people  say 
that  the  Protornithos  was  a  humbug — who  cares  ?  The 
reputation  of  the  Bondavara  coal  was  firmly  established 
on  the  best  scientific  grounds. 

The  period  had  now  arrived  when  the  undertaking 
should  be  floated  at  the  exchange.  This,  perhaps,  is 
the  greatest  science  on  earth.  The  stock-exchange  has 
its  good  and  its  bad  days.  Sometimes  it  is  full  of  elec- 
tricity, the  sheep  frolic  in  the  meadow ;  at  other  times 
they  hang  their  heads  and  will  not  touch  the  beautiful 
grass.  Sometimes  they  come  bleating  to  the  shepherd 
to  beg  that  he  will  shear  them,  for  their  wool  presses  too 
heavily  on  them ;  another  day  they  butt  their  heads  to- 
gether and  will  not  listen  to  their  leader.  Again,  and 
no  one  can  tell  why,  when  the  bell-wether  begins  to  run, 
all  the  rest  of  the  flock  run  after  him  ;  neither  the  shep- 
herd nor  his  dog  can  stop  them.  The  science  lies  in 
knowing  when  there  is  good  weather  on  the  stock-ex- 
change. On  a  favorable  day  men  are  in  such  excellent 
humor — there  is  so  much  gold  in  every  pocket,  every- 
thing goes  well  —  that  even  a  company  for  the  excava- 
tion and  alienation  of  the  icebergs  would  find  bidders. 


256  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

On  a  bad  day  the  best  and  safest  speculation  would  get 
not  a  single  offer. 

It  was  on  one  of  the  good  days  that  the  Bondavara 
Coal  Company  made  its  debut  at  the  Vienna  Stock-ex- 
change. It  caught  on,  and  by  the  day  on  which  the 
subscriptions  should  be  paid  into  the  Bank  of  Kaul- 
mann  came  round  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  military 
cordon  drawn  across  the  street,  to  allow  the  stream  of 
people  to  pass  through  in  any  sort  of  order.  The  sub- 
scribers had,  in  fact,  collected  before  the  doors  early  in 
the  morning ;  those  who  were  strong  trusted  to  their 
own  strength  to  make  way  for  themselves  by  elbow  force. 
In  the  crush  battered  hats  and  torn  coats  were  mat- 
ters of  small  consequence;  verbal  insults  and  personal 
injuries,  such  as  pushing  and  squeezing,  were  treated  as 
nothing.  The  windows  of  the  bank  which  looked  on 
the  street  were  burst  open,  and  some  excited  individual 
called  out : 

"I  subscribe  ten  thousand,  a  hundred  thousand,  a 
million  !" 

When  at  last  six  o'clock  struck,  and  the  doors  of  the 
bank  were  closed,  a  stentorian  voice  called  from  the 
balcony  to  the  crowd  below  : 

"The  subscription  is  closed  !" 

What  a  disappointment  for  those  who  had  not  been 
able  to  get  their  money  in  in  time  !  They  went  away 
dejected  men. 

The  Bondavara  mine  had  indeed  "  caught  on."  In- 
stead of  ten  millions,  eight  hundred  and  twenty  thou- 
sand millions  had  been  subscribed.  Did  the  subscribers 
really  possess  all  that  money  ?  Certainly  not.  Each 
one  deposited  the  tenth  portion  of  the  sum  subscribed 
as  a  guarantee,  and  this  only  on  paper ;  actual  money 
the  company  did  not  as  yet  touch.     Those  who  made 


FINANCIAL    WISDOM  257 

part  of  the  vast  crowd,  who  tore  the  coats  from  one  an- 
other's backs,  were  not  blessed  with  a  superfluity  of  money, 
neither  had  they  the  slightest  interest  in  the  production 
of  coal,  but  to-day  it  is  fine  weather  on  the  exchange  ; 
the  Bondavara  Company's  bonds  stand  at  par.  Every 
one  wanted  to  make  this  small  profit ;  that  done  they 
care  no  more  for  the  bonds  or  the  company. 

It  is,  however,  a  fact  that  trees  do  not  grow  in  heaven. 
Prince  Waldemar  was  at  the  head  of  the  countermine, 
and  he  was  one  of  the  cleverest,  most  astute  men  "  on 
'change." 

To  understand  the  business  the  reader  should  be  him- 
self a  speculator.  It  is  carried  on  something  after  this 
fashion.  Those  who  want  to  buy  in  are  oftentimes  men 
of  straw  ;  they  merely  want  shares  to  sell  them  at  once 
to  the  first  bidder.  As  a  natural  consequence,  this 
lowers  the  value  ;  there  is  a  fall,  sometimes  a  total  col- 
lapse. If  the  investment  is  a  sound  one  it  recovers 
vitality,  and  the  shares  go  up  again.  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  way  to  guard  against  this  trick.  Almost  every 
company  has  a  syndicate,  whose  oflice  is  to  ascertain 
whether  the  applicants  for  shares  are  men  of  straw  or 
not.  Pending  the  inquiry,  the  time  is  made  use  of  to 
employ  certain  agents,  to  whom  a  free  gift  is  made  of, 
say,  five  hundred  shares.  These  men  immediately  set 
up  a  tremendous  uproar ;  they  drive  up  the  shares,  they 
tear  the  certificates  out  of  one  another's  hands,  scream- 
ing out  the  high  rate  at  which  they  are  buying.  But  the 
general  market  sees  no  shares  pass  ;  the  experienced 
ones  know  that  this  is  all  a  well-acted  farce,  and  that 
any  one  who  has  ready -money  need  only  go  to  the 
fountain-head  and  buy  as  many  shares  as  he  wants  at 
par.  On  the  other  hand,  the  bears  are  waiting  their 
time  to  rush  in  and  cause  such  a  depreciation  as  will 


258  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

run  down  the  shares  to  almost  nothing.  When  they 
have  got  them  at  this  low  figure  they  may  allow  them  to 
rise  again. 

The  only  one  who  loses  in  this  cruel  game  is  the 
small  capitalist,  who  has  ventured,  poor  soul,  on  ice,  and 
who  has  sacrificed  his  little  all  at  the  shrine  of  the 
golden  calf,  taken  his  carefully  hoarded  store,  his  hard- 
earned  salary  out  of  his  drawer,  and  has  cast  it  upon 
these  unprofitable  waters,  tempted  by  the  tales  of  high 
interest,  and  the  like.  All  of  a  sudden  the  bears  have 
rushed  in,  the  mine  has  exploded,  his  hopes  are  blown 
into  air,  vanished  like  a  dream ;  his  shares  are  so  much 
waste-paper.  He  goes  home  certainly  a  sadder  if  not 
a  wiser  man.  Well  for  him  if  he  is  not  a  begger.  This 
is  how  they  manage  matters  on  the  stock-exchange. 


CHAPTER    XIX 
FILTHY    LUCRE 

In  the  town  of  X there  is  a  street  called  Greek 

Street.  It  is  a  circle,  or  crescent,  of  pretty  houses, 
which  at  one  time  were  erected  and  peopled  by  Greek 
merchants.  In  the  middle  of  the  street  stands  a  church 
with  a  facade  of  marble  and  a  splendid  gilt  tower,  whose 
bells  are  the  most  tuneful  in  the  whole  town.  It  is  said 
that  when  those  bells  were  cast  the  Greeks  threw,  with 
both  hands,  silver  coins  into  the  liquid  metal. 

Uid  Francis  Csanta  was  now  the  last  of  the  race. 
Once  he  had  been  a  jovial  fellow,  a  careless,  free  liver, 
towards  ladies  a  gallant  cavalier,  among  men  a  desperate 
gambler.  With  years  he  became  silent,  mood}^,  miserly, 
avoided  the  company  of  his  fellow  man  or  woman,  and 
was  a  hater  of  music  and  all  pleasure.  The  more  he  in- 
dulged in  solitude  the  worse  his  peculiarities  grew.  So 
soon  as  one  of  his  former  friends,  or  relations,  or  boon 
companions  died,  he  bought  the  house  in  which  they 
had  lived.  By  degrees  the  whole  street  belonged  to  him  ; 
only  one  house  remained,  and  that  next  door  to  his  own. 
This  had  been  occupied  by  a  connection  of  his  who 
had  left  one  daughter.  Strangely  enough,  she  had  not 
followed  the  general  custom  of  celibacy,  but  had  married, 
and  was  the  wife  of  a  music^'  laster,  who  enjoyed  the  Mag- 
yar name  of  Belenyi.  Thj/!  pair  had  in  due  course  a  son 
born  to  them,  to  whom  they  gave  the  name  of  Arpad. 


26o  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

This  vexed  old  Csanta  sorely.  Why  should  the  last 
remaining  Greek  girl  have  married — above  all,  married 
a  music-master  ?  Why  should  there  be  a  son  ?  Why 
should  that  son  be  baptized  Arpad  ?  And  why  should 
these  annoying  circumstances  take  place  under  his  very 
nose  ?  The  house,  too,  was  an  offence  ;  the  only  house 
in  the  street  that  did  not  belong  to  him.  The  church 
was  his;  no  one  went  in  except  himself;  the  clergyman 
said  mass  for  him  only.  He  was  the  patron,  the  con- 
gregation, the  curator,  the  vestryman,  the  supporter; 
he  filled  every  office  ;  he  was  everything.  When  he  was 
dead  the  church  would  be  closed,  the  grass  would  grow 
upon  the  threshold. 

The  generation  in  the  next  house  showed  no  sign  of 
dying ;  the  boy  Arpad  was  as  lively  as  an  eel.  At  the 
age  of  five  he  threw  his  ball  over  the  roof,  and  it  fell 
into  the  old  Greek's  garden,  who  there  and  then  con- 
fiscated it.     The  lad  gave  him  much  more  annoyance. 

About  this  time  evil  days  came  to  the  country.  The 
Hungarians  and  the  Austrians  killed  one  another. 
The  reason  of  their  so  doing  is  hard  to  find.  Histori- 
ans of  the  present  day  say  that  it  was  all  child's  play, 
and  that  the  cause  lay  in  the  refusal  of  the  Hungarian 
sepoys — who  are  Mohammedans — to  bite  off  cartridges 
which  had  been  prepared  with  the  fat  of  swine — the 
German  method.  Or  did  this  happen  in  India?  Now- 
adays it  is  all  uncertain  ;  mostly  what  is  known  about  it 
comes  through  the  songs  of  the  poets,  and  who  believes 
them? 

What  interests  us  in  this  old  story  is  that  it  has  to  do 
with  Ivan  Behrend,  and  how  he  came  to  dwell  in  the 
Belenyi's  house.  It  so  happened  that  he  was  one  of 
the  regiment  who  repulsed  an  assault  on  the  tow^n,  and 
in  consequence  he  was  billeted  on  the  music-master  and 


FILTHY    LUCRE  261 

his  wife.  He  was  well  liked.  He  was  young  then,  and 
had  good  spirits.  One  day  the  poor  musician,  coming 
home  through  the  streets,  was  struck  by  a  shell,  and 
brought  into  his  house  dead.  Such  things  happen  oc- 
casionally in  time  of  war.  Little  Arpad  was  an  orphan, 
and  then  it  was  that  Ivan  adopted  him  as  his  son.  A 
short  time  after  this  Ivan  laid  down  his  arms  and  re- 
tired into  private  hfe.  Why  he  did  so,  and  where  he 
went,  is  quite  immaterial.  Before  he  went  Ivan  gave 
the  widow  Belenyi  all  the  gold  he  had  with  him,  so  that 
with  this  money  Arpad's  musical  education  might  be 
paid  for.  He  did  not  care  for  the  gold,  and  he  could 
not  have  employed  it  better.  If  he  had  taken  it  with 
him,  who  knows  into  what  worthless  hands  it  would 
have  fallen  ? 

He  hadn't  been  long  gone  when  a  Hungarian  gov- 
ernment official  stood  in  the  market-place  of  X ,  and, 

to  the  accompaniment  of  much  drumming,  gave  out  the 
government  order  that  all  German  bank-notes  should 
be  brought  to  the  great  square,  and  there  made  into  a 
funeral -pile  and  set  fire  to.  Any  one  refusing  to  obey 
this  order  should  be  dealt  with  accordingly.  Every  one 
knew  what  this  meant,  and  all  who  didn't  wish  to  be  dealt 
with  hastened  to  bring  their  bank-notes,  which  were  then 
and  there  burned. 

The  widow  Belenyi  had  her  little  savings,  a  few  hun- 
dred gulden.  What  should  she  do  ?  It  went  hard  with 
her  to  see  her  money  thrown  into  the  fire.  She  went  to 
her  rich  neighbor  and  besought  him  to  help  her,  and  to 
change  her  money  into  Hungarian  bank-notes.  The  old 
Greek  at  first  refused  to  listen,  but  by-and-by  he  relent- 
ed and  did  as  she  wished.  He  even  did  more,  for  after 
a  week  had  passed  he  came  to  her  and  said  : 

"  I  will  no  longer  keep  the  money  which  your  father 


262  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

lent  to  me  at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent.  Here  it  is  for 
you — ten  thousand  gulden  ;  take  it,  and  make  what  you 
can  of  it."  As  he  spoke  he  paid  her  the  whole  sum  in 
Hungarian  bank-notes. 

A  week  later  another  commandant  arrived  in  the 
town  ;  this  one  was  a  German.  The  next  morning  more 
drumming  was  heard  in  the  market-place,  and  the  order 
was  given  that  all  who  possessed  Hungarian  bank-notes 
must  give  them  up  to  have  them  burned.  Those  who 
refused  would  be  shot  or  hanged. 

The  poor  widow  ran  weeping  to  her  neighbor,  and 
asked  what  she  should  do.  The  whole  sum  he  had 
given  her  lay  in  her  drawer  untouched.  If  it  were  taken 
from  her  she  and  her  child  must  beg  or  starve.  Why 
had  he  given  her  this  money  ?  Why  had  he  changed 
her  German  notes  if  he  knew  that  this  w^as  going  to 
happen  ? 

"  How  could  I  know  it  .^"  shrieked  Csanta;  and,  still 
screaming,  he  went  on  to  lament  over  himself.  "  If  you 
are  beggared,  so  am  I — ten  thousand  times  more  beg- 
gared than  any  one.  I  haven't  a  copper  coin  in  the 
house.  I  don't  know  how  I  can  pay  even  for  a  bit  of 
meat.  I  shall  have  a  hundred  thousand  bank-notes 
burned.     I  am  ruined  !     I  am  a  beggar  !" 

And  he  fell  to  cursing  both  Germans  and  Hungarians, 
until  the  widow  Belenyi  implored  him  not  to  shriek  so 
loud,  else  he  would  be  heard,  and,  God  help  us  all ! 
hanged. 

"  Let  them  hear,  then  !  Let  them  hang  me  !  I  don't 
care.  I  shall  go  to  the  market-place  and  tell  them  to 
their  faces  they  are  robbers,  and  if  they  won't  hang  me 
I'll  hang  myself.  I  am  only  considering  whether  I  shall 
suspend  myself  from  the  pump-handle  or  from  the  stee- 
ple of  the  tower." 


FILTHY    LUCRE  263 

The  widow  besought  him,  for  Heaven's  sake,  not  to 
do  such  a  terrible  deed, 

"  And  what's  to  become  of  me  ?  Am  I  to  go  round 
with  a  hat  and  beg  for  a  penny?  Here,  these  are  my 
last  halfpence." 

He  drew  a  few  coins  from  his  pocket,  and  began  to 
weep  piteously;  his  tears  flowed  in  streams.  The  poor 
woman  tried  her  best  to  console  him.  She  begged  him 
not  to  despair;  the  butcher  and  the  baker  knew  him, 
and  would  trust  him.  She  was  tempted  to  offer  him  a 
piece  of  twenty  groschen. 

"  Oh,  you  will  soon  see  !"  sobbed  the  old  man.  "  Come 
to-morrow  morning  early,  and  you  will  see  me  hanging 
from  a  hook  in  the  passage.     I  couldn't  survive  this  !" 

What  could  she  do .''  The  poor  soul  carried  her  Hun- 
garian bank-notes  to  the  commander,  and  saw  them  con- 
sumed in  the  market-place. 

Oh,  it  was  a  laughable  joke!  To  this  day  when  peo- 
ple talk  of  it  their  eyes  fill  with  tears. 

For  the  widow,  and  many  like  her,  there  followed 
months  and  years  of  grinding  poverty.  She  had  lost  all 
the  capital  saved  for  her  by  her  father ;  there  remained 
nothing  but  the  house.  The  front  rooms  she  let  as  a 
shop,  and  in  the  back  she  lived  and  eked  out  her  miser- 
able income  as  best  she  could. 

For  a  long  time  she  looked  with  a  frightened  gaze  at 
her  neighbor's  passage,  expecting  to  see  the  old  man 
hanging  from  an  iron  hook  ;  but  she  was  spared  this 
sight.  The  old  man  had  no  notion  of  ending  his  days. 
He  had  certainly  lost  a  few  thousand  gulden,  but  these 
were  only  the  chaff;  the  corn  w^as  safe.  He  had  a 
secret  hiding-place  to  wdiich  he  could  have  access  by  a 
secret  passage  underneath  his  house ;  the  cellar  was,  in 
fact,  underneath  the  water.     A  mason  from  Vienna  had 


264  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

built  it  for  him,  and  the  people  of  the  town  knew  noth- 
ing of  it.  The  cellar  was  full  of  casks,  and  every  cask 
was  full  of  silver;  the  old  man's  cellar  concealed  a 
treasure.  By  means  of  secret  machinery  constructed 
in  his  bedroom  the  owner  was  able  by  touching  a  spring 
to  open  a  sluice  concealed  in  the  bed  of  the  stream,  and 
thus  in  a  few  minutes  to  submerge  his  cave.  No  rob- 
ber could  have  penetrated  there.  All  the  gold  and 
silver  pieces  which  came  into  Csanta's  hand  found 
their  way  to  this  subterranean  hiding-place,  and  never 
saw  the  light  of  day  again. 

Meantime  his  neighbor,  the  widow,  suffered  the  grip 
of  poverty;  she  sewed  her  fingers  to  the  bone  to  keep 
things  together  and  to  earn  their  daily  bread.  The 
gold  pieces  Ivan  had  given  she  wouldn't  have  touched 
even  to  save  herself  from  starvation ;  they  were  used 
for  the  purpose  for  which  he  gave  them — for  Arpad's 
musical  education,  and  musical  instruction  was  so  dear. 
The  child  was  a  genius. 

But  living  grew  dearer,  work  harder  to  get.  The 
widow  was  forced  to  get  a  loan  upon  the  house ;  she 
asked  her  neighbor,  and  he  gave  it  readily.  The  loan 
grew  and  grew  until  it  reached  a  good  sum  of  money, 
and  then  Csanta  asked  it  back.  Frau  Belenyi  was  not 
able  to  refund,  and  the  old  man  instituted  proceedings, 
and  as  he  was  the  only  mortgagee  he  got  it  for  one- 
quarter  its  real  value.  The  amount  over  and  above  the 
debt  and  the  costs  were  handed  to  the  widow,  and 
there  was  nothing  left  but  to  leave.  Madame  Belenyi 
took  her  son  to  Vienna,  to  begin  in  earnest  his  artistic 
education. 

The  old  Greek  possessed  the  whole  street ;  there  was 
no  one  left  to  annoy  him  in  his  immediate  neighbor- 
hood ;  he  suffered  neither  from  children,  dogs,  or  birds. 


FILTHY    LUCRE  265 

And  his  treasure  increased  more  and  more.  The  casks 
which  filled  the  cellar  that  lay  beneath  the  water  were 
filled  to  overflowing,  and  the  contents  were  always 
silver. 

One  day  Csanta  received  a  visit.  It  was  an  old  ac- 
quaintance, a  banker  from  Vienna,  whose  father  had 
been  a  friend  of  the  old  man's,  and  at  whose  counting- 
house  he  could  always  get  exchange  for  his  bank-notes 
and  other  little  accommodations.  The  visitor  was  Felix 
Kaulmann. 

"  To  what  circumstance  do  I  owe  the  honor  ?  What 
good  news  do  you  bring  me?" 

"  My  worthy  friend,  I  shall  not  make  any  preamble. 
Time  is  precious  to  you,  as  it  is  to  me,  and  therefore  I 
go  straight  to  the  point.  By  the  authorization  of  the 
Prince  of  Bondavara  I  have  been  placed  at  the  head 
of  a  joint-stock  company,  who  have  just  started  some 
gigantic  coal-works,  whose  capital  has  risen  from  ten 
millions  to  eight  hundred  and  twenty  millions." 

"That  is  eighty-two  millions  more  than  you  would  re- 
quire." 

"The  money  is  the  least  part.  What  I  stand  in  need 
of  is  well-known  men  for  the  administration,  for  the  re- 
sult of  the  whole  undertaking  rests  upon  the  zeal,  the 
capability,  the  intelligence  of  the  governing  body." 

"  Well,  such  men  are  not  dilificult  to  find  if  there  is  a 
prospect  of  a  good  dividend." 

"  The  dividend  is  not  to  be  despised.  The  bonus  to 
each  member  of  the  administration  will  be,  yearly,  five  or 
six  thousand  gulden." 

"Really?  What  a  nice  income  ! — a  stroke  of  luck  for 
those  who  are  chosen." 

"  Well,  I  have  chosen  you  for  a  member,  my  worthy 
friend." 


2  66  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  An  honor,  a  great  honor  for  me ;  but  how  much 
must  I  put  down  before  I  am  admitted  ?" 

"Neither  before  nor  after  shall  you  be  asked  to  put 
down  anything.  The  only  condition  is  that  every  mem- 
ber of  the  administration  must  hold  one  thousand 
shares." 

"That  means  paying  in  a  deal  of  money,  my  young 
friend." 

"  I  didn't  say  a  word  of  paying  in ;  I  only  spoke  of 
holding." 

"  But,  my  young  friend,  although  I  am  only  a  provin- 
cial merchant  in  a  small  way,  I  know  that,  so  far  as 
money  is  in  question,  to  subscribe  is  another  word  for 
payment-' 

"With  this  exception — if  both  subscriptions  equalize 
one  another.  Ah,  I  see  you  do  not  like  even  a  question 
of  subscribing.  Well,  listen.  We  will  suppose  that  you 
take  one  thousand  shares  in  my  coal  company,  and  at 
the  same  time  I  give  you  an  undertaking  to  take  over 
one  thousand  shares  at  par  from  you;  in  this  way  we 
are  even,  and  neither  of  us  loses  a  shilling." 

"  Hem  !     But  what  is  the  necessity  for  such  a  joke  ?" 

"I  will  be  frank  with  you.  The  world  has  its  eyes 
fixed  upon  the  actions  of  important  men  ;  if  these  stir 
in  any  affair,  the  others  stir  likewise.  If  on  'change  it 
is  known  that  you,  my  worthy  friend,  have  bought  a 
thousand  shares,  a  hundred  small  speculators  will  imme- 
diately invest  in  shares.  In  this  way  you  secure  to  your- 
self a  sinecure  which  will  give  you  five  or  six  thousand 
gulden,  and  I  will  secure  for  my  undertaking  a  splendid 
future.     Now,  have  I  not  spoken  the  truth  ?" 

"  H'm  !  I  will  consider  the  affair.  Meet  me  to-mor- 
row at  the  restaurant." 

Csanta  spent  all  the  morning  in  the   restaurant ;  he 


FILTHY    LUCRE  267 

listened  to  all  that  was  said  of  the  Bondavara  spec- 
ulation, and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  would 
risk  nothing,  since  all  danger  was  covered  by  Kaul- 
mann's  bond.  When  Felix  arrived  he  had  made  up  his 
mind. 

"  Good !  I  shall  draw  the  shares  ;  but  none  of  them 
shall  hang  round  my  neck,  for  I  don't  like  paper.  '  Paper 
is  only  paper,  and  silver  is  always  silver." 

"Don't  be  afraid,  my  friend;  I  shall  retain  all  shares 
for  myself.  I  deposit  the  caution  for  you,  and  I  pay  the 
instalments." 

Felix  completely  satisfied  the  old  Greek  as  to  his  up- 
right intentions  in  the  matter  of  the  shares,  and  left  in 
his  hands  the  undertaking  in  which  he  pledged  himself 
to  take  them  over  at  par. 

Now  began  the  manoeuvre  behind  the  scenes.  The 
agents,  the  makers  of  books,  the  brokers  rushed  in  ;  the 
Bondavara  shares  rose  rapidly.  The  syndicate  had,  all 
this  time,  never  given  a  share  into  any  one's  hand.  The 
bears  had  not  yet  begun  to  dance.  Herr  Csanta  had  be- 
come a  student  of  the  newspapers.  True,  his  eyes  never 
left  one  column,  but  that  contained  for  him  the  tree  of  all 
knowledge  ;  it  spoke  golden  truth.  With  amazement  he 
read  how  every  day  the  value  of  the  Bondavara  shares 
increased.  The  profit  grew  higher  and  higher;  it  went 
up  in  leaps  and  bounds  ;  sixteen,  eighteen,  at  last  twenty 
gulden  over  par.  Those  who  had  put  down  two  hundred 
thousand  gulden  had  won  in  two  weeks  twenty  thousand 
gulden.  A  splendid  speculation,  indeed,  in  less  than  a 
fortnight  to  make  a  fortune  !  Compare  the  case  of  an 
horlest,  hard-working  usurer  like  himself.  What  difficul- 
ties he  had  to  go  through  to  extract  twenty  per  cent,  out 
of  his  miserable  clients  !  The  work  was  hardly  worth  the 
gain;  the  fatigue  of  trapping  some  silly  idiot,  the  odium 


268  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

and  hatred  incurred  by  exacting  his  rights  from  some 
miserable  beggar  with  a  family,  or  taking  the  pillow  from 
under  the  head  of  a  dying  man  ;  these  things  go  against 
the  grain,  but  they  must  be  done  if  you  want  to  fill  your 
cellar  with  silver  coins.  And  here  a  wretched,  good-for- 
nothing  speculator,  by  merely  a  stroke  of  the  pen,  makes 
in  two  short  weeks  a  fortune.  Luck  is  not  evenly  meted 
out  to  mortals. 

The  time  had  come  when  Felix  Kaulmann  could  de- 
mand from  Csanta  the  thousand  shares  upon  which  he 
could  now  make  a  profit  of  twenty  thousand  gulden.  No 
honest  man  could  allow  such  an  iniquitous  robbery  of 
his  rights,  or,  at  least,  not  without  making  a  struggle.  It 
is  only  a  fool  w^ho  allows  himself  to  be  made  a  tool  of. 
A  man  may  steal  for  himself ;  to  rob  the  widow  and  the 
orphan  to  fill  another  man's  purse,  that  is  wicked  and 
immoral. 

When   Felix   Kaulmann   came   again  to  the  town   of 

X ,  the  old  Greek  received  him  with  great  ceremony 

and  seeming  cordiality. 

'*!  hope  you  bring  good  news,  my  dear  young  friend," 
he  said,  clasping  Kaulmann's  hand  in  his. 

"I  have  come  about  that  little  business  of  the  shares," 
returned  Felix,  with  the  air  of  a  man  of  business.  "You 
remember  our  agreement  ?'' 

"  What  shares  do  you  mean  ?  Oh,  the  Bondavara !  Is 
it  pressing  ?" 

"  Yes,  for  the  first  instalment  of  interest  is  now  due ; 
two  gulden  each  bond,  which,  as  the  shares  are  in  my 
name,  will  make  an  addition  to  my  savings." 

"  Oh,  so  you  intend  to  call  in  the  shares?" 

"  But  that  was  our  agreement." 

"And  if  I  do  not  wish  to  surrender  more  than  five 
hundred  ?" 


FILTHY    LUCRE  269 

Kaulmann  drew  in  his  lips.  "  Well,  I  suppose  I  should 
be  content." 

"  And  if  I  do  not  wish  to  surrender  any  of  the  shares  ?" 

Kaulmann  looked  at  him  uneasily.  "  Sir,"  he  said, 
"  I  thought  I  was  dealing  with  an  honest  man.  Besides, 
you  forget  I  gave  you  a  written  agreement." 

"  My  friend,  my  good  young  friend,  that  is  true.  You 
gave  me  a  written  agreement  signed  with  your  name, 
which  covenanted  that  you  were  obliged  to  take  these 
shares  from  me  at  par ;  but  I  gave  you  no  signed  docu- 
ment, and  there  is  nothing  that  can  force  me  to  hand 
you  over  these  shares.  There  you  have  the  whole  thing 
in  a  nutshell." 

"  But,  my  good  sir,"  repeated  the  banker,  taking  hold 
of  the  lapels  of  the  old  Greek's  coat,  "  listen  to  me. 
Don't  you  know  that  it  is  one  of  the  laws  in  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  that  there  is  no  need  of  written  indenture  ? 
If  I  take  shares  from  you  I  have  only  to  make  a  note  in 
my  pocket-book.  Surely  you  know  that  this  is  the  law 
on  'change  ?" 

"  What  do  I  know  of  the  laws  they  make  there  ?  I 
never  set  my  foot  in  the  place." 

Kaulmann  made  an  effort  to  laugh.  "  I  must  confess 
I  have  never  been  so  sold  by  any  one.  I  have  found 
my  master.     Will  you  give  me  none  of  the  shares?" 

"Not  half  a  one." 

"  Very  good.  Then  you  must  count  out  the  sum-total 
agreed  upon." 

"  Certainly.     I  shall  pay  down  the  money." 

"  I  mean  the  whole  sum.     Do  you  understand  ?" 

"Undoubtedly.  Don't  be  afraid  ;  the  money  is  ready ; 
this  house  is  bail  for  more  than  that  amount.  If  needs 
be  I  can  pay  you  in  gold,  if  needs  be  in  silver." 

"  Well,"  cried  Kaulmann,  bringing  his  clinched  fist 


270  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

down  on  the  table,  "  I  would  never  have  believed  that 
in  this  little  town  I  should  have  been  so  sold." 

Csanta  suspected  that  were  he  to  fail  in  paying  his 
first  instalment  his  shares  might  be  annulled.  He 
therefore  lost  no  time  in  placing  the  first  thirty-five  per 
cent,  into  the  bank.  But  this  was  not  an  easy  task.  To 
transport  seventy  thousand  silver  gulden  to  Vienna 
would  necessitate  a  conveyance,  and  not  only  a  con- 
veyance, but  an  escort  of  gendarmes,  and  this  para- 
phernalia would  make  people  stare.  Well,  let  them 
stare  ! 

When  the  old  man  descended  into  his  cellar  and 
looked  at  the  casks  which  contained  the  necessary  sum, 
his  heart  beat,  his  limbs  trembled.  These  casks  con- 
tained the  treasure  he  had  garnered  up  ;  his  solid  capital. 
It  was  foolish,  he  knew,  still  he  could  not  help  tears 
coming  to  his  eyes  as  he  chose  seven  casks  from  the 
twenty  which  should  be  the  first  to  go.  He  wept  as  he 
spoke  to  these  children  of  his  heart. 

"  You  shall  have  no  cause  to  reproach  me,  you  who 
remain  here,"  he  said  ;  "  those  that  are  now  leaving  you 
shall  soon  return.  They  are  going  on  a  safe  journey, 
not  on  a  wild,  venturous  sea,  where  there  would  be  danger 
of  shipwreck,  but  on  a  safe  railroad,  to  increase  and 
multiply.  Once  I  have  the  shares  in  my  hand,  they 
shall  not  stay  a  night  in  my  possession.  I  shall  sell 
them  at  once,  and  get  back  my  silver.  The  profits,  too, 
I  shall  change  into  silver.  Instead  of  seven  casks  I 
shall  return  with  nine." 

In  this  way  did  the  old  Greek  miser  comfort  himself 
for  the  temporary  loss  of  his  silver  pieces.  He  counted 
them  that  night  when  the  day's  work  was  done,  and 
then  set  about  arranging  the  transport  of  his  treasure  to 
Vienna. 


FILTHY    LUCRE  27I 

The  day  before  Csanta  had  decided  upon  this  step 
the  "  bears  "  had  begun  to  explode  their  mine.  It  was, 
however,  only  a  trial ;  they  wanted  merely  to  show  their 
teeth.  Specie  was  in  demand  ;  if  silver  goes  up,  paper 
securities  fall.  The  seven  casks  from  Csanta's  cellar 
arrived  opportunely.  Two  wagons  laden  with  leaden 
casks,  and  guarded  by  gendarmes  with  drawn  sabres  as 
they  went  slowly  through  the  streets,  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  passers-by.  When  it  came  to  be  known  that 
these  casks  were  full  of  silver,  and  that  all  this  silver 
was  to  be  paid  as  the  first  instalment  of  some  Bonda- 
vara  shares,  there  was  considerable  excitement.  Peru 
and  Brazil  were  opening  their  floodgates.  The  firm  of 
Kaulmann  very  naturally  made  as  much  as  possible  of 
the  event,  as  being  a  feather  in  their  commercial  cap. 
The  delivery  arrived,  as  it  happened,  during  the  absence 
of  the  chief  cashier,  which  involved  an  immense  amount 
of  running  hither  and  thither  in  search  of  him,  as  it  was 
necessary  Csanta  should  receive  his  receipt.  In  the 
afternoon  the  shares  were  handed  over  and  the  silver 
was  counted.  All  this  made  much  stir  and  business  in 
the  Kaulmann  Bank.  Kaulmann  intrusted  the  conduct 
of  the  affair  to  his  most  capable  clerk.  He  instructed 
him  how  to  act  in  regard  to  the  matter,  and  added  that 
if  the  old  Greek  gave  him  a  gratuity,  he  was  to  kiss  his 
hand,  and  to  place  himself  altogether  at  his  service. 
This  man's  name  was  Spitzhase. 

Later  in  the  day  Spitzhase  brought  Csanta  his  ac- 
count, regularly  drawn  up,  together  with  the  shares,  and 
begged  to  inform  his  excellency  "  that  he  had  brought 
seven  hundred  gulden  more  than  was  necessary,  for  the 
reason  that  since  yesterday  silver  had  risen  one  per 
cent." 

"  H'm  !"  thou";ht  Csanta,  "  this  is  an  honest  fellow  ;  I 


272 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


shall  give  him  a  gratuity."  And  he  gave  him  a  bank- 
note of  twenty  gulden. 

Spitzhase  overpowered  him  with  thanks;  then  took  his 
hand,  and  kissed  it. 

"  H'm !"  thought  Csanta,  "  I  have  given  him  too 
much ;  perhaps  five  gulden  would  have  been  sufficient." 
Aloud,  he  said  : 

"  I  made  a  mistake.  Give  me  that  note  back ;  I  will 
give  you  another.'"  And  he  gave  him  a  bank-note  of 
the  value  of  five  gulden. 

Spitzhase  thanked  him  warmly,  and  kissed  his  hand. 

"H'm!  this  is  really  a  good  fellow  —  quite  after  my 
heart.  Give  me  back  those  five  gulden  ;  here  is  another 
note.  I 'made  a  mistake."  And  he  handed  him  a  note 
of  fifty  gulden. 

Spitzhase  kissed  both  his  hands,  and  showered  bless- 
ings upon  him.  Csanta  was  now  convinced  that  he 
had  made  this  man  his  friend  for  life. 

"If  I  had  brought  the  silver  to-morrow,  I  should  have 
got  more,"  he  said,  reflectively. 

"  No,  you  may  believe  me,  to-day  was  the  right  mo- 
ment ;  to-morrow  silver  will  fall  two  per  cent." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?" 

"Oh,  I  am  acquainted  with  the  weather  on  the  stock- 
exchange." 

"  You  are  ?  Then  why  don't  you  speculate  if  you 
know  so  well  the  ins  and  outs  ?" 

"  Because  one  must  have  money,  and  I  have  none.  I 
can  only  dabble  in  trifling  matters." 

"  Are  you  well  known  on  'change  ?" 

"I  spend  all  my  time  there,  except  when  I  am 
asleep." 

"  Then  take  me  to  the  stock-exchange.  I  should  like 
to  look  about  me." 


FILTHY    LUCRE  273 

Csanta  meant,  as  soon  as  he  could  find  a  suitable  pur- 
chaser, to  sell  his  Bondavara  shares. 

"One  can  go  in  the  evening?"  he  asked,  as  they  went 
along. 

"That  is  the  most  lively  time,  particularly  on  a  day 
like  this." 

Csanta  was  novv'  introduced  into  the  Temple  of  Mam- 
mon. Even  outside  the  door  he  could  hear  a  strange 
noise  and  tumult  of  voices,  and  as  he  stepped  inside  his 
head  almost  reeled  at  the  strange  spectacle.  The  large 
hall  was  stuffed  full  of  men,  who  circulated  in  a  narrow 
circle.  Each  one  spoke,  or  rather  shrieked,  as  if  all 
were  quarrelling.  They  gesticulated  with  their  hands, 
holding  up  pieces  of  paper  in  the  air,  making  signs  and 
figures  on  their  fingers,  and  screaming  out  names  and 
makins:  offers  until  the  noise  was  deafenins:. 

Spitzhase,  who  was  perfectly  at  home,  led  Csanta 
through  the  throng.  The  old  merchant  was  indignant 
at  the  manner  in  which  he  was  pushed  and  driven  about, 
no  one  even  begging  pardon  for  his  rudeness.  He 
would  have  liked  to  know  what  was  meant  by  the  words 
so  constantly  repeated,  "  I  give  !"  "  I  take  !"  His  atten- 
tion, however,  was  at  once  riveted  by  another  word 
which  seemed  to  be  in  every  man's  mouth,  and  which 
gradually  became  plainer  :  "  Puntafar  !  Puntafar  !"  It 
dawned  upon  him  that  it  must  be  Bondavar.  He 
stopped  and  timidly  asked  one  of  those  who  were  shriek- 
ing, "Who  wants  'Puntafar'.?  What  is  the  price  at 
which  the  Bondavara  shares  are  selling?" 

"  Thirty  over  par." 

Csanta's  eyes  blazed.  "  It  is  impossible ;  it  cannot 
be  !"  he  said.     "  Yesterday  they  were  at  twenty." 

"That  was  yesterday.     To-day  they   are   thirty.     If 

you  want  to  buy  to-morrow  you  will  have  to  pay  thirty- 
18 


2  74  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

five.  The  whole  world  is  buying  the  scrip.  A  rich 
nabob  from  India  has  brought  all  his  silver  here,  and 
bought  Puntafar  shares.  The  Dey  of  Morocco  and  a 
Russian  prince,  who  both  own  silver  mines,  have  each 
ordered  ten  thousand  shares.  Even  the  little  folk,  who 
have  only  a  few  hundreds,  are  tearing  the  shares  out  of 
one  another's  hands ;  they  won't  have  anything  but 
Puntafar.     What  will  you  take  ?" 

Csanta  had  very  little  idea  that  he  united  in  his  own 
person  the  East  Indian  nabob,  the  Dey  of  Morocco,  and 
the  Russian  prince,  as  likewise  that  it  was  he  who  had 
caused  this  uproar.  Far  from  such  an  idea  crossing  his 
mind,  he  believed  that  this  man  was  making  game  of 
him. 

"  Oh,  sir,"  he  said,  "  thirty  gulden  exchange  is  too 
much.  I  can  give  you  a  thousand  Bondavara  shares  at 
five-and-twenty." 

These  words  caused  such  a  tumult  as  hardly  ever  had 
been  heard  on  'change.  Every  one  crowded  round 
Csanta;  he  was  set  upon  from  all  sides — behind,  before, 
at  his  side,  on  his  back — he  was  fairly  mobbed.  People 
fought  with  one  another  over  his  head,  and  flourished 
their  fists  in  his  face. 

"  Who  is  he  ?  Who  is  he  ?  A  bear,  a  conspirator,  a 
thief,  an  agent !  Out  with  him  !  Bonnet  him  !  Pitch 
him  out !  Twenty-five,  will  he  take  ?  Give  him  twenty- 
five  blows  on  his  back  and  tear  his  coat  in  pieces  !" 

Spitzhase  could  hardly  manage  to  get  him  out.  He 
was  in  a  deplorable  condition  when  he  issued  forth,  his 
hat  smashed,  his  clothes  all  awry,  his  face  pale,  his  breath 
short.  Once  in  the  open  air  his  rescuer  began  to  scold 
him. 

"  What  the  devil  did  you  do  that  for  ?  Just  at  the 
moment  when  the  cabal  was  silenced  and  trampled  in 


FILTHY   LUCRE  275 

the  dust,  to  come  forward  as  one  of  them  to  run  down 
your  own  shares !" 

"  I  did  not  want  to  run  them  down  ;  I  only  wanted  to 
ascertain  if  it  was  really  the  case  that  such  an  advance 
on  the  price  could  be  realized." 

"Oh,  that's  the  way  with  you,"  returned  Spitzhase,  in 
an  aggrieved  tone.  "  Well,  I  can  tell  you  the  exchange 
is  not  a  good  place  to  try  jokes  in.  It  was  all  quite  au- 
thentic. The  Bondavara  scrip  is  as  sound  as  ready- 
money.  To-day  it  is  thirty  for  scrip,  eight-and-twenty 
for  gold ;  to-morrow  it  will  be  thirty-two,  and  so  on — al- 
ways getting  higher.  If  I  had  the  money  I  would  put 
in  my  last  farthing.  I  know  what  I  know,  and  I  have 
studied  the  weather  on  'change,  but  what  I  have  learned 
from  Kaulmann  I  cannot  tell ;  my  lips  are  sealed." 

Upon  this  Csanta  pressed  the  clerk  very  hard.  "  You 
can  tell  me,"  he  said  ;  "  I  am  already  in  the  boat.  What 
have  you  heard  ?" 

"  Well,"  said  Spitzhase,  lowering  his  voice  and  looking 
round  cautiously,  "  what  you  say  is  true ;  you  are  a  large 
holder  of  stock,  so  perhaps  I  may  give  you  this  hint. 
Pimtafar  has  not  reachedits  highest  point  yet.  Oho  !  they 
are  very  tricky  who  hold  over.  I  am  in  the  secret,  and 
there  is  a  plan,  the  details  of  which  I  durst  not  reveal, 
which  will  give  such  an  impulse  as  will  drive  the  shares 
still  higher.  In  six  months  one  impulse  will  be  given, 
in  another  six  months  another.  Oh,  the  world  will  open 
its  eyes  and  its  ears  ;  but  what  I  say  to  you,  you  will  see  ! 
In  a  year's  time  Puntafar  will  be  at  one  hundred  over 
par." 

"A  hundred !"  repeated  Csanta,  falling  back  against 
the  wall  in  his  astonishment.  But  he  soon  recovered 
himself.  He  was  angry  with  Spitzhase  for  treating  him 
as  if  he  were  a  fool. 


276  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"I  tell  you  what  you  are,"  he  said  ;  "you  are  a  great 
boaster.  Leave  me ;  I  shall  get  home  by  myself." 
And  he  dismissed  Spitzhase  angrily. 

The  next  morning  his  first  word  was  to  ask  the  waiter 
for  the  papers.  His  eyes  eagerly  sought  the  exchange 
column,  and  there,  just  as  Spitzhase  had  prophesied, 
silver  currency  had  dropped  two  per  cent.  Bondavara 
stood  at  thirty  to  thirty-two  florins,  and  what  is  w'ritten 
is  gospel  truth. 

"  Not  one  shall  I  sell !"  cried  Csanta,  clapping  his 
hands. 

And  then  he  got  up  and  dressed  himself.  Here  was 
a  stroke  of  luck.  It  was  like  a  fairy-tale  ;  a  man  had 
only  to  leave  the  window  open  at  night  and  next  morn- 
ing his  pockets  are  full  of  gold. 

He  was  swallowing  his  breakfast  when  Spitzhase  was 
ushered  in,  his  face  beaming  with  triumph. 

"Now,  what  did  I  tell  you .?"  he  cried,  as  he  laid  down 
the  paper  before  Csanta,  pointing  with  his  finger  to  the 
exchange  column. 

The  old  Greek  said  not  a  word  of  having  read  the 
good  news ,  he  nodded  his  head  as  he  answered,  with 
great  composure: 

"Is  it  really  true  }     Well,  that  is  satisfactory." 

"  I  rather  think  so  ;  by  the  evening  they  will  be  up  to 
thirty-two.     Oh,  if  I  had  only  some  money  !" 

"  Well,  here  is  another  note  for  you.  Go  and  buy 
yourself  a  share.  There,  don't  kiss  my  hand.  I  can- 
not allow  it."     But  he  did  allow  it. 

"Don't  sell  the  share,"  he  went  on;  "keep  it  for 
yourself.  When  the  next  instalment  comes  due  I  will 
pay  it  for  you.  For  God's  sake,  don't  kiss  my  hand 
again  !  I  will  do  more  than  that  for  you.  If  you  kiss 
my  hand  every  time  I  shall  have  no  hands  left.     Re- 


FILTHY    LUCRE  277 

member  that  I  shall  expect  you  to  show  your  gratitude 
in  a  more  tangible  manner.  You  must  let  me  know  the 
first  thing  if  the  head  of  your  bank  is  going  to  try  any 
tricks  with  the  bonds.  You  will  be  sure  to  give  me  the 
first  news  as  to  when  I  should  sell.  Do  you  understand 
me?  Good  !  Now  that  you  have  a  share  yourself  you 
have  an  interest  in  the  matter,  and  if  we  sell  our  shares 
are  we  not  entitled  to  a  commission  ?" 

Spitzhase  kissed  every  finger  of  the  old  man's  hand. 

"  I  implore  one  thing  of  you,  master,"'  he  said  ,  "don't 
betray  me  to  Kaulmann.  If  he  found  out  that  I  be- 
trayed his  secrets  to  any  one  he  would  dismiss  me  on 
the  spot." 

"  Don't  be  afraid.  You  have  to  do  with  an  honorable 
gentleman,"  returned  the  Greek,  with  an  air  of  dignity. 

The  honorable  gentleman  believed  that  he  had  won 
over  the  honest  clerk  to  betray  the  secrets  of  the  honor- 
able banker,  his  employer.  It  was  an  honorable  game 
all  round.  We  shall  see  which  of  the  honorable  gentle- 
men played  it  best. 


CHAPTER    XX 

NO,   EVELINE  ! 

It  was  high  time  Ivan  returned  to  his  coal-mine;  he 
was  needed  there.  While  he  was  fighting  duels  in  Pesth, 
strange  things  were  happening  in  Bondathal.  Not  far 
from  his  workmen's  colony  there  arose  enormous  build- 
ings with  almost  miraculous  quickness.  As  often  hap- 
pens when  no  difficulty  is  made  as  to  price,  the  only 
question  asked  is,  how  soon  shall  the  work  be  finished? 
The  shares  had  not  yet  been  issued,  and  the  company 
had  already  spent  in  the  interest  of  the  undertaking  a 
million  of  money.  Everything  was  pressed  forward  at 
fever-heat.  Here  w^as  a  new  invention  for  making  tiles 
by  machinery,  there  a  donkey-engine  supplied  the  mate- 
rials for  building  the  walls.  The  earthworks  were  in  a 
most  advanced  condition,  the  chimneys  smoked,  the  roofs 
were  covered,  a  whole  street  was  already  built,  a  new  town 
was  rising  as  if  by  magic. 

Of  all  this  activity  Ivan  had  been  kept  in  ignorance 
by  his  assistant,  Raune,  who  had,  likewise,  been  silent 
as  to  another  disturbing  element  which  had  made  its 
appearance  for  the  first  time  among  the  workmen,  and 
which  disputed  the  palm  with  "choke-damp"  and  "foul 
air,"  and  was  quite  as  fatal  as  either.  This  new  element 
was  "  a  strike.''  A  portion  of  Ivan's  workmen  struck  for 
higher  wages,  otherwise  they  would  join  the  new  coal- 
mine, which  was  called  "  The  Gentleman's  Colony."     It 


NO,    EVELINE!  279 

offered  nearly  double  the  wages,  certainly  more  than 
the  half  again,  of  what  Ivan  paid.  This  happened  after 
Raune  had  explained  to  the  men  that  he  had  accepted 
the  office  of  director,  which  had  been  offered  to  him  by 
the  new  company,  and  he  naturally  wished  to  take  with 
him  the  best  and  cleverest  among  Ivan's  men,  so  that 
they,  too,  might  profit  by  the  higher  wages.  Who  could 
resist  such  advantageous  offers  ?  Miners  are  like  all 
other  men  ;  they  have  their  price. 

Ivan  now  gnawed  the  bitter  bread  of  self-reproach. 
He  saw  the  folly  he  had  committed  in  taking  into  his 
service  and  admitting  into  the  secrets  of  the  business 
the  paid  director  of  a  company  created  to  bring  about 
his  own  ruin. 

A  scientific  man  is  not  a  good  business  man.  While 
he  was  making  investigations  as  to  the  probability  of 
animal  life  existing  in  the  antediluvian  strata  of  coal- 
mines, he  was  blind  to  the  danger  of  a  rival  company 
close  to  his  own  factory.  Nay,  more  ;  he  had  allowed 
himself  to  be  hoodwinked  by  an  inferior  intelligence,  and 
had  fallen  into  the  trap  set  for  him  by  his  old  friend 
Felix.  Ivan  was  philosopher  enough  to  accommodate 
himself  to  circumstances.  There  was  little  use,  he  told 
himself,  in  crying  over  spilt  milk ;  he  had  broad  shoul- 
ders, and  they  should,  if  it  were  possible,  push  the  wheel 
of  fortune.  But  though  he  said  this,  he  had  little  hope 
of  succeeding. 

On  his  return,  and  when  he  got,  as  he  thought,  to  the 
bottom  of  the  evil,  he  called  his  workmen  together. 

"  Comrades,"  he  said,  "  a  great  undertaking  has  risen 
up  beside  us  ;  the  company  of  the  new  coal-mines  offers 
you  wages  which  I  give  you  my  word  of  honor  it  is  im- 
possible to  pay  without  considerable  loss  to  themselves. 
Up  to  the  present  I  have  worked  my  mines  with  a  cer- 


28o  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

tain  amount  of  profit;  I  offer  you  to-day,  in  addition  to 
your  usual  wages,  a  share  out  of  this  profit.  For  the 
future  we  shall  divide  with  one  another  what  we  earn. 
At  the  end  of  the  year  I  shall  lay  my  accounts  before 
you ;  one  of  your  number,  chosen  by  yourselves,  shall 
examine  and  audit  them,  and  according  to  the  wages  of 
each  man  and  the  work  he  has  done  he  shall  receive  his 
share.  If  you  agree  to  this  fair  offer  I  shall  continue  the 
work.  If,  however,  you  think  it  better  for  your  interests 
to  take  the  higher  wages  offered  by  the  company,  I  shall 
not  enter  into  competition  with  men  who  have  millions 
to  spend  ;  it  would  be  a  folly  on  my  part.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, sell  them  my  mine,  and  you  may  then  be  certain  of 
one  thing,  that  when  they  have  both  mines  in  their  own 
hands,  and  find  that  no  rivalry  is  possible,  the  rate  of 
wages  will  be  lowered.  To  those  who  stand  by  me  I 
offer  a  contract y6'r  life ;  the  profits  of  this  mine,  so  long 
as  I  live,  shall  be  divided  between  myself  and  my  work- 
men." 

This  was  an  excellent  stroke,  especially  as  the  com- 
pany could  not  imitate  it.  More  than  half  the  men 
closed  wath  Ivan's  offer,  and  undertook  to  remain  with 
him.  A  great  number,  however,  influenced  by  paid 
agents,  who  were  sent  about  to  stir  them  up,  went  over 
to  the  "Gentleman's  Colony." 

Those  who  remained  had  a  great  deal  to  suffer  from 
the  ones  who  left.  Not  a  Sunday  passed  without  fights 
taking  place  between  the  two  parties. 

Ivan  soon  heard  that  his  pow^erful  rival  had  found  a 
way  of  checkmating  him.  His  customers,  to  whom  he 
sent  large  consignments  not  only  of  coal  but  also  of 
copper  and  iron  bars,  wrote  to  him  that  the  new  Bonda- 
vara  Coal  Company  had  offered  the  same  class  of  goods 
at  fifty  per  cent,  less,  and  that  therefore,  unless  he  was 


NO,   EVELINE!  28 1 

prepared  to  make  a  similar  reduction,  they  could  not 
deal  with  him.  Fifty  per  cent,  higher  wages  and  fifty 
per  cent,  less  profit  means  working  for  nothing.  Raune 
had  Ivan's  business  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand  ;  he  could 
ruin  it,  and  he  meant  to  do  so.  Ivan  saw  this  quite 
clearly,  but  he  did  not  lose  heart.  He  wrote  to  all  his 
former  customers  that  it  was  not  possible  to  give  either 
the  coal  or  the  iron  a  farthing  cheaper,  not  if  it  hung 
round  his  neck  as  a  dead  weight.  The  consequence 
was  his  coal  and  his  iron  accumulated  in  his  ware- 
houses ;  scarcely  a  wagon  with  his  name  was  to  be  seen 
in  the  streets  of  Bondathal.  He  had  to  work  the  mine 
and  the  foundry  for  himself  alone. 

For  the  men  who  had  remained  true  to  him  there  was, 
indeed,  a  bad  outlook.  Their  former  comrades  jeered 
at  them  in  the  open  street.  "Where  is  the  profit?" 
was  a  popular  cry.  Ivan  tried  to  quiet  the  disap- 
pointed men  ;  he  asked  them  to  wait  patiently.  By  the 
end  of  the  year,  he  prophesied,  they  would  be  on  the 
right  side.  To  give  things  for  nothing  wms  not  trade, 
and  if  the  company  chose  to  do  it  he  wasn't  going  to 
follow  such  a  suicidal  example. 

The  great  buildings  of  the  new  colony  being  now 
completed,  the  directors  of  the  company  announced 
that  they  would  hold  high  festival  in  honor  of  the  open- 
ing of  the  undertaking.  The  principals,  directors,  man- 
agers, shareholders  were  to  come  from  Vienna  and  be 
entertained  at  a  banquet.  The  largest  room  in  the  fac- 
tory was  fitted  up  as  a  dining-room,  the  tables  being 
laid  for  workmen  as  well  as  for  the  distinguished  com- 
pany of  strangers.  It  was  widely  circulated  that  the 
prince  w^as  coming.  The  company  had  chosen  him  as 
their  president.  Both  the  princes  were  patrons  of  com- 
mercial and  industrial  undertakings,  but  Prince  Theo- 


282  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

bald  possessed  an  extraordinary  financial  talent;  any 
speculation  he  engaged  in  was  a  sound  and  sure  one,  so 
it  was  said,  as  also  that  he  had  taken  a  million  shares  in 
the  new  company.  It  was  so  far  true  that  Kaulmann 
had  offered  him  this  million,  which  was  to  increase  the 
value  of  the  Bondavara  property,  but  it  is  needless  to 
remark  that  the  million  of  shares  had  no  tangible  exist- 
ence. Previous  to  the  inaugural  ceremony  a  religious 
service  was  to  take  place,  and,  as  was  only  fitting,  this 
was  to  be  conducted  by  the  eminent  Abbe  Samuel. 
Before  such  distinguished  guests  it  would  hardly  be  in 
keeping  to  have  a  man  such  as  pastor  Mohak,  although 
it  was  true  that  he  slaved  all  through  the  year  among 
the  people. 

The  guests  came  from  the  castle,  where  they  had  ar- 
rived the  previous  day.  They  drove  into  the  town  in 
splendid  coaches.  That  of  Prince  Theobald  came  first, 
with  his  armorial  bearings  emblazoned  on  the  panels. 
Behind  two  footmen  with  dazzling  liveries  of  scarlet  and 
gold.  On  the  box  the  coachman  with  a  powdered  wig 
and  three-cornered  hat.  The  coach  drew  up  at  the 
church  door,  the  footmen  jumped  down  and  opened  the 
carriage  door.  There  alighted  first  an  old  gentleman 
with  white  hair,  a  clean-shaven,  soft,  friendly  face,  and  a 
very  distinguished  air.  He  gave  his  hand  to  a  splen- 
didly dressed  lady  in  a  velvet  and  lace  costume,  who 
descended  from  the  equipage  with  graceful  nonchalance. 
The  crowd  saw  her  violet  velvet  boots  and  embroidered 
silk  stockings. 

"What  a  great  lady !"  cried  the  boors  to  one  another. 
"She  must  be  a  princess,  for  all  the  gentlemen  at  the 
church  door  received  her  hat  in  hand." 

Only  one  man  in  a  rough  workman's  coat  called  out : 
"Evila!" 


NO,   EVELINE  !  283 

It  was  Peter  Saffran  who  had  recognized  her. 

The  lady  heard  the  exclamation,  and  turned  a  laugh- 
ing face  to  the  crowd  outside. 

"  No,"  she  said  ;  "  it  is  Evel'mer 

She  bowed  her  head  sweetly  as  she  crossed  the  thresh- 
old of  the  church. 

Eveline's  vanity  had  brought  her  to  Bondathal;  she 
wanted  to  show  her  silk  stockings  to  her  former  com- 
panions, who  had  seen  her  in  wooden  shoes  with  no 
stockings,  except  on  occasions.  It  was  the  vanity  of 
the  peasant  girl — not  pride,  take  notice,  but  mere  van- 
ity. She  did  not  look  down  upon  her  friends,  as  some 
upstarts  do  ;  she  wanted  to  do  good  to  every  one  of 
them.  She  was  ready  to  give  them  money,  to  earn  their 
grateful  thanks,  particularly  to  those  ^Yho  had  been 
kind  to  her  in  the  old  days  ;  to  those  especially  she 
wished  to  prove  that,  although  she  had  risen  to  a  high 
position,  she  had  never  forgotten  how  much  she  owed 
to  them.  She  would  now,  in  her  turn,  do  them  good. 
Eveline  had  looked  forward  to  seeing  her  former  bride- 
groom. Most  probably  he  had  long  since  consoled 
himself  for  her  loss,  and  had  married  another.  A  pres- 
ent of  money  would  make  him  happy.  She  had  also 
counted  on  meeting  Ivan.  She  had  the  most  grateful 
remembrance  of  his  goodness,  and  she  was  glad  to  think 
she  had  it  in  her  power  to  prove  her  gratitude  by  deeds. 
She  could  not  give  him  a  present,  but  she  could  tell  him 
of  the  dangers  that  threatened  his  property  from  the 
large  undertaking  of  the  company,  and  she  promised 
herself  to  use  all  her  influence  to  make  the  best  terms 
for  Ivan  in  case  he  w^ould  consent  to  arrange  matters 
with  his  gigantic  rival. 

Yes,  it  was  indeed  the  vain  desire  of  doing  good  that 
had  brought  Eveline  to  Bondathal.     She  had  arranged 


284  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

how  and  where  she  would  have  her  first  meeting  with 
Ivan. 

The  notal3ilities  and  proprietors  of  the  neighborhood 
had  been  invited  in  the  name  of  the  prince  to  the  ban- 
quet, which  was  to  inaugurate  the  opening  of  the  works. 
No  one  could  refuse  such  an  invitation.  It  was  true 
that  when  Eveline  had  proposed  to  the  Abbe  Samuel 
that  he  should  undertake  the  office  of  intermediary,  and 
call  on  his  learned  colleague  Behrend,  and  bring  him 
with  him  to  the  banquet,  the  abbe  had  exclaimed  not 
for  all  the  world  would  he  venture  to  propose  such  a 
thing  as  that  Behrend  should  wait  upon  their  excellen- 
cies. And  when  he  said  this  he  knew  very  well  what 
he  was  saying. 

To  return  to  the  church  door.  As  Peter  Saffran  stood 
stock-still,  gazing  after  the  vanishing  figure  of  his  former 
betrothed,  he  felt  some  one  tap  him  on  the  shoulder; 
turning  round,  he  saw  standing  behind  him  Felix  Kaul- 
mann.  Peter's  face  went  deadly  white,  partly  with  fear, 
more  from  inward  rage.  Felix,  however,  laughed  care- 
lessly, with  the  indifference  of  a  great  man,  to  what  was, 
in  his  opinion,  only  a  good  joke. 

"Good-day,  fellow.  Mind  you  come  to  the  dinner," 
he  said,  as  he  followed  the  prince  into  the  church. 

Peter  Saffran  remained  gaping  at  the  noble  gentlemen 
as  they  got  out  of  their  carriages,  and  when  the  crowd 
began  to  move  into  the  church  he  followed  in  the  stream. 
He  made  his  way  into  the  darkest  corner,  before  the 
shrine  of  a  saint,  knelt  down,  with  both  his  hands  laid 
upon  the  wall  and  his  head  upon  his  folded  arms,  and 
there  he  made  a  vow — an  awful,  terrible  vow.  Those  who 
saw  him  in  his  kneeling  attitude,  with  bent  head,  im- 
agined he  had  been  struck  at  last  by  grace,  and  was 
repenting  of  his  sins.     When  he  had  finished  his  prayer, 


NO,    EVELINE  !  285 

or  his  curse,  he  got  up  quickly,  and,  without  waiting  for 
the  end  of  the  splendid  ceremonial,  hastened  out  of  the 
church,  casting  a  wild  look  behind  him  as  he  went,  for 
he  imagined  that  the  saint  in  the  shrine  was  pointing  her 
finger  at  him  and  calling  out,  "Take  him  prisoner!  He 
is  a  murderer !" 

The  church  service  being  over,  the  distinguished  com- 
pany drove  to  the  company's  colony,  and  went  over  the 
works.  They  drove  under  triumphal  arches  which  were 
erected  in  the  streets,  and  were  received  by  a  deputa- 
tion of  workmen.  The  best  orator  made  a  speech,  which 
would  have  been  very  eloquent  only  he  stuck  fast  in  the 
middle.  The  young  girl  who  recited  some  verses  was 
more  happy  in  her  delivery,  and  her  youngest  sister  pre- 
sented a  bouquet  to  Eveline,  who  kissed  the  child. 

"Ah  !  you  are  little  Marie.     Don't  you  know  me?" 

The  child,  however,  was  too  frightened  at  this  beau- 
tiful lady  to  make  her  an  answer. 

The  guests  visited  the  buildings  under  the  guidance  of 
Herr  Raune,  who  spared  them  nothing — the  factory,  the 
machinery,  the  iron-works.  They  were  terribly  tired  of 
it  all,  and  glad  to  get  into  the  large  rooms  which  had 
been  temporarily  arranged  as  the  banqueting-hall.  Here 
they  were  received  by  two  bands  playing  Rakoczy's 
"  March."  To  the  banquet  came  a  crowd  of  guests  alike 
invited  and  uninvited — gentlemen,  peasants,  clergymen, 
and  Bohemians.  Eveline,  however,  looked  in  vain  for 
her  former  master.  Ivan  was  not  among  the  guests.  He 
had  not  even  sent  an  excuse.  What  an  uncouth  man ! 
and  yet,  perhaps,  he  had  reason.  If  you  drink  before- 
hand to  the  skin  of  the  bear,  the  bear  has  every  right  to 
decline  being  present  at  the  feast.  Peter  Saffran,  how- 
ever, came  ;  he  was  treated  as  the  chief  guest,  and  given 
the  first  place  at  the  workman's  table.    This  struck  even 


286  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

his  obtuse  senses.  Looking  round  he  saw  he  was  the 
only  representative  of  the  Bondathal  mine. 

The  banquet  lasted  far  on  into  the  evening.  Gentle- 
men and  workmen  were  exceedingly  merry.  Towards 
the  close  of  the  feast  Felix  sent  for  Peter.  He  pre- 
sented him  to  the  prince. 

"  Here  is  the  brave  miner  of  whom  I  have  told  your 
excellency." 

Saffran  felt  the  blood  rush  to  his  face. 

''Well,  my  good  friend,"  continued  Felix,  "how  has 
the  world  treated  you  since  I  last  saw  you  ?  Are  yoia 
still  afraid  of  '  the  doctor  ' }  There's  a  plaster  for  you  ; 
it  will  heal  any  remains  of  your  former  injuries."  So 
saying,  he  took  out  of  his  pocket-book  a  note  for  a  hun- 
dred gulden  and  put  it  into  Peter's  hand.  "  No,"  he 
added,  "  don't  thank  me,  but  thank  the  kind  lady  there, 
who  remembered  you." 

He  pointed  to  Eveline,  and  Peter  kissed  her  hand,  or, 
rather,  her  beautiful  mauve  glove. 

What  a  transformation  in  the  man-eater !  He  had 
grown  obedient  and  gentle. 

"  That  good  lady,"  continued  Felix,  "  wishes  you  well. 
At  her  request  his  excellency,  Prince  Theobald,  has 
given  you  the  post  of  overseer  in  the  new  company's 
colony,  at  the  yearly  salary  of  a  thousand  gulden.  What 
do  you  say  to  that  ?" 

What  could  he  say  ?  He  kissed  the  hand  of  his  ex- 
cellency. 

Kaulmann  filled  a  large  goblet  to  the  brim  with  foam- 
ing champagne  and  handed  it  to  Peter. 

"  Toss  that  off,"  he  said.  "  But  first  drink  to  the  long 
life  of  his  excellency,  our  generous  prince." 

"  And  to  the  health  of  this  dear  lady,"  added  the 
prince,  gallantly,  at  which  the  trumpets  sounded  shrilly, 


NO,    EVELINE  !  2S7 

and  Peter  Saffran,  the  prince,  the  banker,  and  Eveline 
drank  to  one  another. 

This  scene  dehghted  the  working-men.  Here  was  no 
pride,  the  gentlemen  clinking  glasses  with  the  common 
miner.     This  was  the  right  spirit. 

Peter  Saffran,  meantime,  was  wondering  within  him- 
self which  of  the  two  gentlemen  was  Eveline's  husband, 
and  in  what  relation  did  the  other  stand  to  her  ?  He 
emptied  his  glass  and  put  it  down  again,  but  it  did  not 
occur  to  him  to  put  the  question  to  either  of  the  three, 
therefore  it  remained  unanswered. 

The  festival  closed  with  a  splendid  display  of  fire- 
works. The  sparks  from  the  Catherine  wheels  fell  in  a 
shower  of  molten  gold  into  Ivan's  mine. 

The  following  morning  Saffran  came  to  Behrend  and 
informed  him  that  he  had  taken  service  with  the  com- 
pany. 

"You  also  ?"  said  Ivan,  bitterly.     "Well,  go  !" 

Peter  was  paler  than  ever.  He  had  expected  re- 
proaches for  his  treachery,  but  as  none  came  he  sud- 
denly burst  out  with  what  had  been  for  some  time  in  his 
mind. 

"  Why  did  you  that  time  call  your  friend  a  doctor  ?" 

"  Because  he  is  one.     He  is  a  doctor  of  law." 

Saffran  raised  his  finger  in  a  threatening  manner. 
"  Nevertheless,  it  was  very  wrong  of  you  to  call  him  that 
time  a  doctor."  And  then  he  turned  on  his  heel  and 
went  his  way. 

Ivan's  strength  of  mind  was  more  and  more  put  to 
the  proof.  Each  day  brought  fresh  defections.  His 
best  men  left  him  to  go  over  to  his  enemy,  who,  like 
some  horrid  monster,  raised  large  furnaces  which 
crushed  the  very  life  out  of  his  smaller  chimneys.  His 
business  friends  fell  away  from  him.     They  looked  upon 


288  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

him  as  an  obstinate  fool,  carrying  on  such  an  unequal 
fight ;  but  the  darker  the  outlook  the  stronger  grew  his 
determination  to  see  the  affair  to  the  bitter  end.  He 
would  not  leave  his  old  home,  his  own  little  territory; 
he  would  carry  on  the  unequal,  perhaps  the  fruitless, 
task  of  opposing  his  apparently  triumphant  adversary. 

In  the  depth  of  his  misfortune  one  true,  reliable  friend 
remained  to  him,  and  saved  him  from  utter  despair. 
This  friend  was  the  multiplication-table.  Before  he  be- 
gan to  calculate  he  put  these  questions  to  himself,  as  if 
he  were  some  one  else  : 

"  Is  this  colony  a  company  of  commercial  men  ?  No, 
a  company  of  speculators.  A  joint-stock  company? 
No,  it  is  a  game  of  chance.  Is  it  a  factory  ?  No,  a 
tower  of  Babel."  Then  he  went  on  to  consider  this 
point.  "Two  and  two  make  four,  and,  turn  it  how  you 
like,  it  makes  nothing  hut  four;  and  if  all  the  kings  and 
emperors  in  Europe,  with  decrees  and  ukases,  were  to 
tell  their  individual  subjects  that  two  and  two  make  five, 
and  if  the  pope  fulminated  a  bull  to  enjoin  on  all  true 
believers  that  two  and  two  make  five,  and  if  even  the 
best  financial  authority  was  to  declare  that  we  should 
count  two  and  two  as  five,  all  these — kings,  emperors, 
popes,  and  accountants — would  not  alter  the  fact  that 
two  and  two  make  four.  These  generous  shareholders 
of  the  Bondavara  Company  are  working  against  a  well- 
known  fact.  The  new  company  builds,  creates,  invents, 
contracts,  buys,  and  sells  without  taking  any  heed  of  the 
primary  rule  of  arithmetic ;  therefore  it  is  clear  that  the 
company  is  not  working  for  the  future,  but  merely  for 
present  gain.    Therefore,  I  will  live  down  this  swindle." 

At  the  end  of  the  year  the  company  gave  their  share- 
holders a   surprise.     The   Bondavara   shares   began  to 


NO,    EVELINE  !  289 

fluctuate  between  thirty-five  and  forty  florins  exchange, 
although  the  date  of  the  payment  of  second  instalments 
of  capital  was  at  hand.  At  such  times  all  the  early 
bonds  are  handed  in.  Csanta  thought  this  would  be  a 
good  time  for  him  to  bring  in  his  shares  and  to  get  his 
silver  back.  He  was  contemplating  a  visit  to  the  bank 
when  he  received  a  private  note  from  Spitzhase,  putting 
him  on  his  guard  not  to  fall  into  such  a  mistake  as  to 
sell.  "  This  very  day  the  board  of  directors  had  met, 
and  a  resolution  had  been  carried  unanimously  that  at 
the  next  general  meeting  the  shareholders  should  be 
surprised  by  getting  a  bonus  of  twenty  per  cent.,  upon 
which  the  shares  would  at  once  rise  higher.  This  was  a 
profound  secret,  but  he  could  not  allow  his  good  friend 
to  remain  in  ignorance." 

And  at  the  next  general  meeting  the  commercial  world 
heard  the  same  story.  The  first  two  months  of  the 
Bondavara  Coal  Company  had  been  such  a  signal  suc- 
cess that,  besides  the  usual  rate  of  interest,  the  directors 
were  enabled  to  offer  upon  each  share  a  bonus  of  six 
florins,  which  amounted  (with  the  usual  rate)  to  thirty- 
five  per  cent.,  an  unheard-of  profit  in  two  months. 

When  Ivan  read  this  in  the  newspaper  he  burst  into  a 
loud  laugh.  He  knew,  no  one  better,  what  amount  of 
profit  the  factory  had  made,  but  it  is  easy  to  manipulate 
accounts  so  that  the  ledger  presents  these  remarkable 
results.  What  do  the  unbusiness-like,  credulous  share- 
holders understand  of  such  matters  ?  The  board  of  di- 
rectors know  very  well  how  matters  really  stand  ;  but 
they  have  their  own  ends  to  serve.  The  outside  world 
may  bleed;  what  is  that  to  them?  There  is  no  court- 
martial  in  the  stock-exchange,  and  no  justice  for  the 
injured. 

Csanta  did  not  sell  his  shares.     He  paid  his  second 


290  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

instalment  in  silver  pieces,  rejoiced  over  the  bonus,  and 
blessed  Spitzhase  for  preventing  him  from  selling  his 
bonds  at  thirty-five.  They  had  now  risen  to  forty  florins, 
and  continued  to  rise. 

Ivan  watched  this  diabolical  swindle  with  calmness. 
He  said  to  himself  : 

"  How  long  will  the  game  last?" 


CHAPTER    XXI 
RESPECT    FOR    HALINA    CLOTH 

It  was  a  singular  coincidence  that  in  the  same  mo- 
ment that  Ivan  said  to  himself,  "  How  long  will  this 
game  last?"  Prince  Waldemar,  meeting  Felix  Kaul- 
mann,  beaming  with  triumph,  at  the  exchange,  put  to  him 
the  question,  "  How  long,  do  you  think,  will  this  comedy 
last  ?" 

"  The  third  act  is  still  wanting,"  replied  the  banker. 

"Yes,  the  third  instalment  Then  I  shall  hoist  you 
on  your  own  petard." 

"  We  will  see  about  that." 

The  bears  could  not  imagine  what  Kaulmann  had  in 
his  head.  That  he  had  a  plan  was  certain  ;  what  it  was 
no  one  knew  but  the  Abbe  Samuel  and  Prince  Theobald. 

The  third  act  was  not  the  instalment ;  it  was  the  Bon- 
davara  Railway.  This  question  bristled  with  difficulties. 
The  government  was  irritated  against  Hungary,  and  in 
their  irritation  would  not  listen  to  any  proposals  as  to 
railways  and  the  like.  Even  the  country  party  was 
sulky.  Let  the  country  go  to  the  devil ;  what  did  they 
care?  And  no  doubt  they  had  justification  for  their 
righteous  indignation.  Every  Hungarian  who  wore 
"broadcloth"  was  against  them.  Thebody  of  officials,  the 
middle  class,  the  intelligence  of  the  country,  preferred 
to  lay  down  place  and  to  give  up  government  patronage 
sooner  than  submit  to  the  chimeras  which  the  cabinet 


292  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

at  Vienna  indulged  in  by  way  of  government.  Good  ! 
So  far  as  officials  went,  men  were  easily  got  to  fill  the 
places  the  others  had  resigned,  for  when  a  good  table  is 
spread,  needless  to  say,  guests  are  not  hard  to  find.  The 
hired  troop  pocketed  their  salary,  took  the  oath,  stuffed 
their  pockets,  but  did  nothing  to  promote  the  govern- 
ment measures.  Between  the  men  who  had  resigned 
and  the  newly  appointed  officials  there  was  only  this 
difference :  that  one  set  openly  declared  they  would  do 
nothing ;  the  others  pretended  to  do  something,  but 
found  it  impossible  to  accomplish  anything.  They  tried 
to  shove,  but  the  cart  would  not  move  an  inch.  From 
those  who  wore  cloth  among  the  middle  classes  the  gov- 
ernment had  to  expect  nothing,  that  was  evident.  For- 
merly those  who  wore  silk  and  satin  acted  as  a  sort  of 
counterpoise — the  high  and  might}',  and  the  magnates^ 
the  lawyers,  and  the  priests— but  now  all  these  held 
aloof.  The  primate  remonstrated,  the  bishops  advised 
the  nobility,  the  higher  classes  collected  in  Pesth  and 
talked  treason. 

Fiedere  si  nequeo  superas — 

Let  us  turn  now  to  the  Halina  cloth.  Halina  cloth 
is,  as  every  one  knows,  the  commonest  description  of 
cloth,  only  worn  by  the  poorer  classes.  This  cloth  was 
suddenly  adopted  in  the  capital  of  the  Austrian  empire. 
This  was  no  capricious  freak  of  fashion  set  in  motion  by 
some  high  lady  who  "  imagined  "  her  elegance  could  give 
dignity  to  the  roughest  material ;  this  was  another  affair 
altogether,  inaugurated  by  the  legislative  body  of  the 
kingdom,  who  were  all  clothed  in  Halina.  Well,  what 
has  any  one  to  say  against  this  ?  Why  not  ?  Are  we 
not  democrats  ?  It  is  true  that  these  right-minded  men 
hardly  understood  a  word  of  the  language  in  which  the 
legislative  debates  were  carried  on,  but  this  had  the  in- 


RESPECT    FOR    HALINA    CLOTH  293 

estimable  advantage  that  they  could  make  no  long 
speeches,  and  therefore  could  in  no  way  impede  the 
course  of  business.  Neither  did  they  possess  any 
knowledge  of  the  laws  of  nations,  the  rights  of  citizens, 
the  complicated  details  of  finance,  nor  the  construction 
of  budgets ;  and  this  pastoral  innocence  entitled  them 
to  universal  respect  and  confidence,  for  it  placed  them 
above  suspicion.  No  one  could  suspect  these  honor- 
able deputies  of  siding  with  the  government  because 
they  held  government  appointments. 

We  repeat  that  the  introducer  of  Halina  cloth  to  be 
worn  by  the  legislative  assembly  was  a  man  of  talent. 
But  in  Hungary,  also,  the  fashion  should  be  adopted. 
Were  there  not  one  hundred  and  eight  seats  in  the  leg- 
islative assembly  ready  for  so  many  excellent  men  ? 
These  should  not  be  left  vacant.  To  fill  these  seats, 
however,  there  was  one  lever  necessary,  and  that  was 
the  influence  of  the  clerical  party. 

The  clergy  in  Hungary  were  such  poor  creatures,  so 
ignorant  and  uneducated,  that  they  actually  preferred  to 
remain  faithful  to  the  traditions  of  Radoczy  than  to 
adopt  the  new-fangled  ideas  promulgated  at  Vienna. 
Even  such  an  insignificant  pastor  as  Herr  Mahok  re- 
turned the  decree  which  had  been  sent  to  him  from 
headquarters,  with  directions  to  read  it  on  Sundays  to 
his  flock,  saying  that  it  was  a  mistake ;  he  was  not  the 
village  crier.  If  the  government  wished  to  issue  a 
protocol,  let  it  be  done  in  the  market-place,  by  order  of 
the  judge  of  the  district,  and  accompanied  by  the  drum 
and  trumpet.  The  pulpit  was  not  the  place  for  govern- 
ment protocols.  The  like  refusal  came  from  every  pas- 
tor in  Hungary,  and  in  face  of  this  flat  rebellion  the 
ministers  resolved  that  the  power  of  the  clerical  party 
should  be  broken. 


294  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"Now  is  the  time  to  act,"  said  Felix  Kaulmann  to  the 
Abbe  Samuel. 

The  primate  had  been  in  Vienna;  he  had  been  re- 
fused an  audience;  he  had  fallen  into  disgrace.  The 
Bishop  of  Siebenburg  had  been  elevated  to  the  primate's 
seat,  and  given  all  its  honors  and  dignities.  The  cler- 
ical party  in  Hungary  was  doomed.  Against  it  the 
sword  was  drawn  ;  the  moment  was  approaching  when 
it  would  be  cut  in  two. 

The  Bondavara  Railway  was  the  gradns  ad  Fai-jias- 
siim.  If  it  succeeded,  if  it  was  worked  properly,  the 
house  of  Kaulmann  would  rank  with  that  of  the  Pereires 
and  Strousbergs  ;  then,  also,  the  pontifical  loan  upon  the 
Church  property  in  Hungary  could  be  effected.  All 
this  with  one  blow !  Rank  in  the  world,  power  in  the 
country,  influence  in  the  empire,  success  in  the  money- 
market,  and  the  triumph  of  the  Church. 

The  Abbe  Samuel  had  begun  his  ambitious  career. 
The  first  task  was  to  introduce  the  hundred  and  eight 
Hungarian  wearers  of  Halina  cloth  into  the  legislative 
body,  and  thus  to  secure  the  Bondavara  Railway,  the 
title  of  bishop,  and  a  seat  in  the  House  of  Peers.  These 
three  things  lay  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  for  he  had 
three  strings  ready  to  pull,  which  would  set  in  motion 
the  statesman,  the  financier,  and  the  influence  of  woman. 

On  one  Saturday  Ivan,  to  his  surprise,  received  a 
visit  from  Raune,  who,  in  a  few  words,  stated  the  matter 
which  had  brought  him.  The  proprietors  and  inhabi- 
tants of  the  different  parts  of  Bondathal  wished  to  send 
a  deputation  to  Vienna,  to  lay  before  the  government 
and  Parliament  their  request  that  the  means  of  com- 
munication between  their  mountainous  territory  and  the 
other  parts  of  the  empire  should  be  put  on  a  better  foot- 


RESPECT    FOR    HALINA    CLOTH  295 

fng.  This  matter  interested  Ivan  equally  with  the  rest, 
and  therefore  it  would  be  desirable  that  he  and  his 
workmen  should  attend  the  mass-meeting  which  would 
be  held  on  the  next  day. 

Ivan  at  once  refused  all  co-operation.  "We  live,"  he 
said,  "under  exceptional  laws,  which  forbid  political 
meetings.  This  mass-meeting  has  a  political  object, 
and  therefore  I  refuse  to  disobey  the  law." 

In  spite  of  this  protest  the  assembly  took  place  next 
day,  and  the  Abbe  Samuel  made  a  brilliant  speech. 
His  dignified  appearance  imposed  respect,  his  proposal 
was  intelligible  and  for  the  general  good  ;  its  usefulness 
could  not  be  gainsaid.  To  insure  its  popularity  the 
astute  abbe  took  care  not  to  introduce  into  his  speech 
the  hated  word  "  Reichstag."  The  resolution  was  car- 
ried unanimously  that  a  deputation  of  twelve  men  should 
be  chosen  to  proceed  at  once  to  Vienna,  and  there 
present  the  wishes  of  the  people.  The  twelve  delegates 
were  then  chosen  by  the  abbe,  and  his  choice  was  re- 
ceived with  loud  shouts  of  approbation.  The  Bondavara 
shareholders  came  forward  with  unexampled  generosity, 
and  presented  each  member  of  the  deputation  not  only 
the  price  of  the  journey,  but  a  cloak  made  of  Halina 
cloth,  a  hat,  and  a  pair  of  boots.  Twelve  new  suits  ! 
That  was  worth  going  to  Vienna  for.  Still,  it  went 
against  the  grain.  A  peasant  is  suspicious;  they  don't 
care  to  crack  nuts  with  gentlemen  ;  they  mistrust  pres- 
ents that  most  probably  will  be  dearly  bought.  If  any 
man  in  a  black  coat  had  made  the  proposal  it  would 
have  encountered  vigorous  opposition,  but  a  priest,  a 
distinguished  priest,  his  advice  can  safely  be  followed ; 
there  is  nothing  to  be  afraid  of  when  he  is  at  the  head 
of  the  deputation.  All  will  go  well,  even  although  they 
may  have  to  undertake  heavy  responsibilities  which  may 


296  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

some  day  involve  loss.  But  what  loss  ?  Ah  !  time  will 
tell.  Once  on  a  time  twelve  men  went  to  Vienna,  and 
sold  the  rights  of  their  fellow-countrymen  to  the  devil. 
God  knows  what  might  happen,  only  that  the  priest  is 
with  them;  there  is  the  plank  of  safety. 

Nevertheless,  the  twelve  men  had  to  swear,  man  to 
man,  before  they  put  on  the  new  suits,  upon  their  souls, 
that  they  would  deny  that  they  could  write.  They  were 
to  sign  nothing,  and  if  they  were  asked  if  such  a  one  in 
Bondathal  had  houses  and  fields,  and,  above  all,  sons, 
they  were  not  to  give  any  answer. 

The  deputation  started  in  a  couple  of  days  after  the 
meeting,  under  the  guidance  of  the  abbe.  Peter  Saffran 
went  also.  He  had  been  named  one  of  the  twelve,  for 
he  was  specially  wanted  in  Vienna. 

A  day  or  so  later  Ivan  was  cited  before  the  military 
officer  commanding  the  district;  he  was  accused  of 
having  acted  against  the  law  by  causing  the  "  Reichstag" 
to  be  lowered  in  the  eyes  of  the  people,  of  having  kept 
the  people,  especially  his  own  workmen,  from  taking 
part  in  legal  demonstrations,  of  having  insulted  mem- 
bers of  the  legislature,  and  of  having  allied  himself  with 
secret  societies.  He  was  cautioned  to  avoid  anything 
of  the  sort  in  future.  The  next  time  things  would  be 
more  serious ;  he  was  at  liberty  to  go  this  time  un- 
punished. 

Ivan  knew  perfectly  well  from  what  quarter  this  de- 
nunciation had  come.  To  destroy  his  business  utterly 
it  would  be  necessary  to  place  its  owner  for  a  year  in 
confinement ;  his  innocence  would  then  be  established, 
and  he  would  be  allowed  to  go  scot-free.  In  the  mean- 
time his  property  would  be  ruined.  It  was  lucky  for 
Ivan  that  on  this  occasion  the  jailer's  wife  was  ill.  It 
would  have  been  necessary  to  remove  her  from  the  rooms 


RESPECT    FOR    HALINA    CLOTH  297 

which  were  set  apart  for  prisoners  under  suspicion,  and 
so  Ivan  was  allowed  to  go  his  way. 

Ah,  it  was  a  great  day  when  the  twelve  men  from 
Bond'athal,  in  the  twelve  new  suits  of  Halina  cloth, 
arrived  in  the  metropolis.  Here  they  are  !  Here  are 
the  Hungarians,  the  indomitable  sons  of  the  soil.  A 
deputation  to  the  Reichsrath,  an  acknowledgment  of 
the  February  patent,  the  first  pioneers  !  They  deserve 
three  times  three. 

All  the  newspapers  hastened  to  congratulate  them; 
the  leading  articles  of  all  political  shades  were  full  of 
this  new  and  remarkable  demonstration. 

The  minister  gave  the  deputation  a  private  audience, 
where  the  abbe  set  forth  their  demand  in  a  well-ex- 
pressed speech,  laying  great  stress  upon  the  fact  that 
it  was  the  people  themselves  who  wished  to  free  their 
country  from  its  present  condition,  having  learned  to 
distinguish  their  real  benefactors  from  those  false 
prophets  who  wished  to  condemn  them  to  a  baneful 
and  ruinous  inactivity.  The  abbe  dwelt  expressly  upon 
the  great  intelligence  of  the  men  who  formed  the  depu- 
tatio^n.  In  return  his  excellency  the  minister  pressed 
the  hand  of  the  abbe,  and  assured  him  that  the  bish- 
opric would  soon  be  vacant,  and  that  it  would  be  his 
care  to  see  that  a  loyal  prelate  should  fill  the  seat.  His 
excellency  then  entered  into  conversation  with  the 
members  of  the  deputation,  and  as  none  of  them  under- 
stood a  word  of  his  language,  they  were  much  pleased 
with  what  he  said.  His  excellency,  having  been  told  by 
the  abbe  that  Peter  Saffran  was  the  most  distinguished 
of  the  party,  took  especial  notice  of  him.  He  pressed 
his  hand,  while  he  expressed  a  hope  that  the  members 
of  the   deputation  would  attend   the  morning  sitting; 


298  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

places  would  be  reserved  in  the  gallery— for  the  present 
in  the  gallery. 

Peter  promised  for  his  fellow-members.  He  could 
speak  German  as  well  as  French ;  he  had  picked  up 
both  languages  during  his  ship  experiences. 

All  this  time  the  minister  had  said  nothing  as  to  the 
grant  to  the  Bondathal  Railway,  and  that  was  the  prin- 
cipal thing. 

At  the  next  sitting  of  the  Reichsrath  the  front  row  of 
the  gallery  was  reserved  for  the  distinguished  guests. 
They  sat  in  arm-chairs,  leaning  their  elbows  on  the 
cushions,  and  letting  their  round  hats  hang  over  the  rails. 

His  excellency  the  minister  gave  a  discourse  which 
lasted  over  an  hour.  The  opposition  maintained  that 
during  his  speech  his  excellency  had  glanced  fifty-two 
times  at  the  gallery,  to  see  the  effect  he  was  producing 
upon  the  Hungarians.  One  fell  asleep,  and  let  his  hat 
fall  into  the  hall.  The  hat  fell  upon  one  of  the  deputies, 
and  awoke  him  from  a  sweet  doze. 

For  three  days  this  trivial  circumstance  gave  food  to 
the  government  papers;  then  it  became  the  absolute 
property  of  the  accredited  wit  or  fun  journals,  which  put 
into  the  mouths  of  the  Hungarians  all  manner  of  things 
which  they  had  never  said.  Never  mind ;  those  excel- 
lent men  couldn't  read  German,  so  it  didn't  matter. 
They  stuck  fast  to  their  arm-chairs  in  the  gallery  as  long 
as  the  sitting  lasted ;  they  were  more  comfortable  than 
their  beds. 

The  last  evening  of  their  stay  they  were  taken  to  the 
theatre.  Not  to  the  Burg  Theatre — that  would  not  do 
for  them — but  to  the  Treumann  Theatre,  where  a  piece 
was  playing  suitable  for  them,  with  plenty  of  fun,  sing- 
ing, dancing,  laughing ;  and  the  great  joke  of  all  was 
that  the  principal  part  was  to  be  played  by  the  beautiful 


RESPECT    FOR    HALINA    CLOTH  299 

Eveline,  Fraa  von  Kaulmann.     Will  Peter  Saffran  rec- 
ognize her  ? 

It  had  not  been  possible  to  get  an  engagement  at  the 
Opera-house  for  Eveline,  for  there  was  an  Italian  sea- 
son running.  When  it  finished  there  would  be  a  pros- 
pect of  an  engagement  for  her  if  she  first  learned  the 
routine  of  acting  at  some  less  important  theatre,  and 
grew  accustomed  to  the  footlights.  Therefore,  she 
played  en  cwiateiir  on  the  boards  of  the  Treumann  The- 
atre. Her  natural  gifts  and  her  extraordinary  beauty 
caused  a  sensation.  The  jcuncsse  doree  went  mad  over 
this  new  favorite  of  the  hour.  The  piece  which  was 
played  in  honor  of  the  peasants  was  one  of  Offenbach's 
frivolous  operas,  in  which  the  ladies  appear  in  the  very 
scantiest  of  costumes.  The  noble  portion  of  the  audi- 
ence enjoy  these  displays  more  than  do  the  poorer  ;  it 
did  not,  at  all  events,  amuse  the  simple  folk  in  Halina 
cloth.  The  ballet,  with  the  lightly  clothed  nymphs, 
their  coquettish  movements,  their  seductive  smiles,  their 
bold  display  of  limbs,  and  their  short  petticoats,  was 
not  to  the  taste  of  the  Bondavara  miners.  It  was  true 
that  the  girls  in  the  coal-pit  wore  no  petticoats  to  speak 
of,  but  then  they  were  working.  Who  thought  anything 
of  that?  Chivalry  belongs  to  the  peasant  as  much  as  to 
the  gentleman  ;  the  former  indeed  practise  the  motto, 
"  Honi  soit  qui  mal  y  pense  "  more  than  do  their  better- 
educated  superiors.  But  now  as  Eveline  entered  they 
felt  ashamed.  She  came  on  as  a  fairy  or  goddess,  con- 
cealed in  gold-colored  clouds ;  the  clouds  were,  how- 
ever, transparent.  Peter  glowed  with  rage  to  think  all 
the  world  could  penetrate  this  slight  transparency;  he 
burned  with  jealous  fury  as  Eveline  smiled,  coquetted, 
cast  glances  here,  there,  and  was  stared  at  through 
a  hundred   opera-glasses.     Peter  forgot   that   this  was 


300  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

only  a  stage,  and  that  the  fairies  who  played  their  parts 
upon  it  for  an  hour  or  so  were  many  of  them  most  vir- 
tuous women,  excellent  wives  and  daughters ;  for  what 
happens  on  the  stage  is  only  play,  not  actuality.  The 
former  bridegroom  did  not  reason  in  this  wise.  You 
see,  he  was  an  uneducated  peasant  in  coarse  Halina 
cloth,  and  his  ignorant  mind  was  filled  with  horror,  dis- 
gust, rage.  That  she  should  allow  herself  to  be  kissed, 
to  be  made  love  to — shame  !  No,  my  good  Peter,  it  was 
no  shame,  but  a  great  honor.  Out  of  the  boxes  bou- 
quets and  wreaths  fell  on  the  stage  ;  there  was  hardly  a 
place  where  she  could  put  her  feet;  it  was  all  flowers. 
The  house  resounded  with  applause.  This  was  not 
shame,  but  honor — certainly  not  of  the  same  kind  that 
would  be  offered  to  a  saint  or  a  good  woman  ;  it  was 
more  the  worship  offered  to  an  idol,  and  most  women 
like  to  be  worshipped  as  idols. 

Peter  told  himself  all  the  sex  are  alike,  and  comforted 
himself  with  the  thought  that  not  one  of  his  companions 
would  recognize  Eveline.  But  Peter  took  a  sore  heart 
back  to  his  inn. 

In  the  hall  he  met  the  abbe,  and  asked  him,  "When 
are  we  going  back  ?" 

"Are  you  weary  of  Vienna,  Peter?" 

"  I  am." 

"  Have  a  little  patience.  To-morrow  we  must  pay  a 
visit  to  a  charming  lady." 

"What  have  we  to  do  with  charming  ladies.''" 

"  Don't  ask  the  why  or  the  wherefore.  If  we  want  to 
attain  our  end  we  must  leave  no  means  untried.  We 
must  beg  this  lady  to  interest  herself  for  us.  One  word 
from  her  to  his  excellency  the  minister  will  do  more 
than  if  we  said  a  whole  litany." 

"Very  good;  then  we  had  better  see  her." 


CHAPTER    XXII 
TWO     SUPPLIANTS 

The  next  day,  at  eleven  o'clock,  Abbe  Samuel  came 
to  fetch  his  followers,  and  conduct  them  to  the  house  of 
the  influential  lady  whose  one  word  had  more  weight 
with  his  excellency  than  the  most  carefully  arranged 
speeches  of  priests  and  orators. 

The  carriage  stopped  before  a  splendid  palace  ;  a 
porter  in  a  magnificent  scarlet  livery,  with  a  bear-skin 
cap,  answered  the  bell,  and  between  a  double  row 
of  marble  pillars  they  ascended  the  steps.  The  stair- 
case was  also  of  marble,  covered  with  a  soft,  thick  car- 
pet. The  school-master  at  home,  if  he  had  a  bit  of  this 
stuff,  would  have  made  a  fine  coat  of  it.  Up  the  stair- 
case were  such  beautiful  statues  that  the  poor  peasants 
would  have  liked  to  kneel  to  kiss  their  hands.  The 
staircase  was  roofed  in  with  glass  and  heated  with  hot 
air,  so  that  the  lovely  hot-house  plants  and  costly  china 
groups  suffered  no  injury  from  the  cold  air.  In  the 
anteroom  servants  wearing  silver  epaulettes  conducted 
the  visitors  into  the  drawing-room.  The  sight  almost 
took  away  their  breath.  There  was  no  wall  to  be  seen  ; 
it  was  panelled  in  the  most  sumptuous  silk  brocade ;  the 
curtains  of  the  same  texture  had  gold  rods,  and  splendid 
pictures  in  rich  frames  hung  on  the  silk  panels.  The 
upper  portion  of  the  windows  was  of  stained  glass,  such 
as  is  seen  in  cathedrals,  and  opposite  the  windows  was 


302  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

a  large  fireplace  of  white  marble,  upon  whose  mantel- 
piece stood  a  wonderful  clock,  with  a  beautiful  figure 
which  moved  in  time  to  the  melodious  tick.  The  fur- 
niture was  all  of  mahogan)'.  From  the  ceiling,  upon 
whicli  the  arabesques  in  gold  were  a  feast  to  the  e)'e, 
there  hung  a  lustre  with  a  hundred  lights,  whose  thou- 
sand glass  drops  sent  out  all  the  prismatic  colors  of  the 
rainbow. 

The  good  peasants  of  Bondathal  had  hardly  time  to 
take  in  the  wonders  of  this  fairy  palace  when  a  gentle- 
man in  a  black  coat  and  a  spotless  white  tie  came  out 
of  an  adjoining  room.  This  grand  personage,  whom 
they  imagined  to  be  the  master  of  the  house,  turned  out 
to  be  an  equally  important  person — the  groom  of  the 
chambers.  He  informed  them  that  his  mistress  was  in 
the  next  room,  and  ready  to  receive  them. 

There  was  no  door  to  this  inner  apartment,  only  cur- 
tains of  heavy  damask,  such  as  church  banners  are 
made  of.  This  second  drawing-room  was  still  more 
wonderful  than  the  first.  The  walls  were  panelled  in 
dove-colored  silk.  From  the  ceiling  to  the  floor  there 
were  enormous  mirrors  set  in  china  frames,  and  be- 
tween each  mirror  were  consoles  with  marble  statuettes 
representing  dancing  nymphs.  The  stone  floor  was 
covered  with  a  soft  carpet,  into  which  the  foot  sank  as 
into  summer  grass.  The  fireplace  was  of  black  marble, 
with  a  silver  grating.  The  furniture  was  of  the  Ver- 
sailles pattern ;  tables  and  chairs,  arm-chairs  and  foot- 
stools, of  delicate  coloring ;  chairs  of  Sevres,  with  feet 
and  elbow  rests  ornamented  with  delicate  flower- gar- 
lands and  charming  Watteau  figures.  Every  piece  of 
furniture  was  a  masterpiece.  Upon  the  centre -table 
and  consoles  were  Japanese  vases  of  different  and  most 
elegant   shapes.      In   one   of  the   windows   an    aquari- 


TWO    SUPPLIANTS  303 

um  had  been  constructed  full  of  gold-fish  and  sea- 
anemones. 

The  poor  peasants  did  not  notice  all  these  beautiful  ob- 
jects ;  their  attention  was  fixed  upon  their  own  reflections 
in  the  long  glasses,  and  which  in  their  ignorance  they 
imagined  were  other  deputations,  headed  by  another 
abbe  wearing  a  gold  cross.  But  even  this  strange  spec- 
tacle was  lost  sight  of  in  their  amazement  at  the  beauty 
of  the  great  lady  who  now  came  forward  to  receive  them. 
She  was  a  lovely  vision.  Her  dress  of  violet  silk  was 
covered  with  the  most  costly  lace,  her  black  hair  fell  in 
curls  over  her  shoulders;  her  face  was  so  beautiful,  so 
fascinating,  so  dignified,  that  every  man  in  the  deputa- 
tion was  ready  to  fall  at  her  feet. 

Peter  Saffran  was  the  only  one  who  recognized  her; 
it  was  Eveline,  his  promised  bride. 

Now  the  abbe,  bowing  low,  addressed  her  in  most 
respectful  language,  as  he  laid  before  her  the  desire  of 
the  deputation,  that  she  would  accord  her  powerful  pro- 
tection to  the  Bondathal  population.  The  lady  answered 
most  graciously,  and  promised  that,  as  far  as  possible, 
she  would  exert  her  influence.  She  was  heart  and  soul 
in  the  matter,  for  she  added,  smiling  : 

"  I  am  myself  a  child  of  Bondathal." 

At  these  words  the  deputation  exchanged  glances, 
and  every  one  thought  she  must  be  the  daughter  or  wife 
of  one  of  the  Bondavara  magnates.  Only  Saffran  was 
gloomy. 

''  What  is  she  ?"  he  thought.  "  Only  last  night  she  was 
singing,  dancing,  and  acting;  her  beauty  was  displayed 
to  the  eyes  of  a  crow^l,  who  looked  at  her  through  opera- 
glasses,  while  I  had  to  cover  my  eyes  with  my  hat  so  as 
not  to  look  on  her  degradation,  and  here  to-day  she  is  a 
sort  of  queen,  promising  us  her  influence  with  cabinet 


304  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

ministers.  What  is  the  truth?  Was  last  night  a  comedy, 
or  is  to-day  a  clever  farce  played  by  her  and  the  priest  ?" 

You  see,  Peter  Saffran  had  been  in  the  Fiji  Islands, 
and  he  remembered  how  amazed  the  savages  had  been 
when  the  white  man  washed  the  black  from  his  hands, 
and  showed  their  natural  color ;  only  here  it  was  the 
whole  body  that  was  in  question. 

The  abbe',  who  seemed  highly  pleased  with  the  success 
of  his  interview,  now  gave  those  behind  him  a  sign  to 
move  on,  and  bowed  respectfully  to  the  lady,  who  whis- 
pered a  few  words  in  his  ear. 

The  abbe'  stopped  Peter  Saffran  as  he  was  leaving 
the  room,  and  said,  in  a  low  voice  : 

"You  are  to  remain  ;  this  kind  lady  wishes  to  speak 
with  you." 

Saffran  felt  the  blood  rush  to  his  head.  He  almost 
tottered,  and  as  he  returned  to  the  room  he  could  hardly 
move.  But  Eveline  hastened  to  him,  holding  out  both 
her  hands.  She  had  taken  off  her  gloves,  and  he  felt  the 
soft,  velvety  clasp  of  her  fingers  as  she  pressed  his 
horny  hand  in  hers ;  he  heard  in  his  ear  the  sweet,  fresh 
ring  of  her  voice,  to  which  he  had  often  listened. 

"Ah,  Peter,  say  a  word  to  me— a  kind  word;"  and  she 
patted  him  two  or  three  times  on  the  back.  "  Are  you 
still  angry  with  me?  There,  Peter,  don't  be  vexed  any 
more.  Stay  and  dine  with  me,  and  we  shall  drink  to  our 
reconciliation." 

And  she  put  her  arm  into  his,  and  stroked  his  cheek 
with  her  delicate  little  hand,  which  looked  as  if  it  had 
never  known  what  hardship  was. 

Eveline  had  kept  religiously  to  her  promise  of  always 
informing  Prince  Theobald  when  she  expected  guests, 
and  the  prince  reserved  to  himself  the  right  of  a  veto  if 


TWO    SUPPLIANTS  305 

he  did  not  approve  of  their  reception,  for  there  were 
among  the  dilettante^  and  even  among  apparently  most 
respectable  gentlemen,  certain  individuals  who  should 
not  have  the  entree  to  the  drawing-room  of  a  lady  who  is 
not  living  under  her  husband's  roof. 

The  prince  liked  pleasant  society,  and,  if  he  approved 
of  the  company,  enjoyed  himself  all  the  more  that  Eve- 
line did  the  honors  for  him. 

On  this  particular  day  Eveline  had  told  the  prince  she 
expected  two  visitors.     One  was  Peter  Saffran. 

The  prince  laughed.  "  Poor  fellow  !''  he  said,  "  treat 
him  well  ;  it  will  do  him  good."  But  when  he  heard  his 
excellency  the  minister  was  coming  he  frowned  heavily. 
"  What  is  this  ?"  he  asked.  "  What  brings  him  to  see 
you  r 

"  Why !    Is  he  a  woman-hater  ?" 

"On  the  contrary,  he  is  a  scoundrel,  only  he  wears  a 
hypocrite's  cloak.  Great  men  who  are  at  the  helm  and 
guide  public  affairs  have  their  weaknesses,  but  they  dare 
not  sin  openly.  A  man  in  his  position  might  as  soon 
become  a  member  of  the  Jockey  Club  as  visit  a  beauti- 
ful actress,  unless  he  had  some  ostensible  reason  to  give 
for  so  doing." 

"  But  he  has  a  reason,  and  a  very  good  one.  I  asked 
him  to  make  the  appointment." 

"  You  invited  him  here P''  The  prince's  face  grew  more 
cloudy. 

"  That  is  to  say,  I  asked  him  to  give  me  a  private 
audience,  and  his  secretary  wrote  to  say  his  excellency 
would  prefer  to  come  here." 

'•  And  for  what  purpose  do  you  require  an  audience  ?" 

"  Felix  desired  me  to  ask  for  it." 

"  Ah,  it  was  Kaulmann's  doing!     Wherefore  ?" 

"  E[e  wants  these  documents  to  be  siscned." 


306  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Eveline  showed  the  prince  a  folded  parchment. 

The  prince  glanced  at  it  and  shook  his  head.  "  And 
does  his  excellency  know  that  this  is  the  reason  why 
you  asked  for  an  audience  .'"' 

Eveline  burst  into  a  laugh.  "  Oh  dear,  no  !  When 
his  secretary  first  wrote  he  asked  why  I  required  an 
audience;  I  answered  it  was  about  my  engagement  at 
the  Opera,  and  then  he  said  he  would  come.  He  knows 
nothing  of  this,"  she  added,  touching  the  papers  in  her 
hand. 

"  And  Kaulmann  told  you  to  do  this  ?''' 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  Kaulmann  is  a  refined  villain.  Do  as  he  has 
told  you ;  but  you  may  take  my  word  that  your  husband 
deceives  himself  if  he  imagines  you  can  snare  a  savage 
with  a  silken  net.  You  can  receive  your  guest,  but  I  do 
not  think  you  will  succeed  in  your  scheme." 

Eveline  put  her  hand  upon  Peter  Saffran's,  and  led 
him  into  another  room,  where  there  was  a  wonderful 
display  of  silver,  and  thence,  through  a  private  door,  into 
a  fourth  apartment,  the  w^alls  of  which  were  wainscoted 
with  dark  wood  ;  the  ceiling,  too,  was  supported  by  cross- 
beams of  wood,  and  finished  with  painted  shell-work. 

No  one  was  in  the  room.  Eveline  sat  down  on  the 
sofa,  and  made  Peter  sit  beside  her. 

"  Listen,  Peter,"  she  said,  laying  her  hand  on  the  rough 
sleeve  of  his  Halina-cloth  coat.  "  It  was  the  will  of  God 
that  I  should  separate  from  you.  It  grieved  me  very 
much  to  leave  you,  because,  you  know,  we  had  been 
called  in  church  three  times.  But,  then,  you  could  not 
bear  my  little  brother ;  you  were  cruel  to  him,  and  you 
beat  me.  I  don't  bear  you  any  malice  now.  I  have 
forgotten  and  forgiven,  but  at  the  time  I  was  very  angry 


TWO    SUPPLIANTS  307 

with  you,  not  so  much  because  you  ill-treated  nie,  but  I 
followed  you  that  night  to  the  cottage  in  the  wood.  I 
was  quite  ready  to  forgive  and  forget,  only  I  looked 
through  the  window,  and  I  saw  you  dancing  with  Ezifra 
Mauczi.  I  saw  you  kiss  her,  and  I  was  angry  in  down- 
right earnest." 

Peter  gnashed  his  teeth.  He  felt  the  tables  were 
turned  against  him,  and  he  could  say  nothing.  It  would 
be  very  different  if  it  were  his  wife  who  accused  him  of 
such  things ;  he  would  know  how  to  treat  a  jealous, 
scolding  wife  ;  but  he  couldn't  take  this  beautiful  lady 
by  the  hair,  and  drag  her  round  the  room,  and  beat  her 
on  the  head  until  she  begged  for  pardon. 

"But,  as  I  said,"  continued  Eveline,  smiling  again, 
"we  are  not  going  to  talk  about  bygones.  It  was  all 
God's  will,  and  for  the  best.  We  would  have  been  a 
most  unhappy  couple,  for  I  am  passionate  and  jealous, 
and  you  would  have  given  me  cause.  Now  you  can  do 
as  you  like,  and  I  have  the  happiness  of  doing  good.  I 
like  to  help  as  many  people  as  possible,  and  every  day 
twenty  poor  creatures  are  fed  in  my  house.  Oh,  I  do 
more  than  that ;  I  get  heaps  of  things  done  for  the  poor  ! 
I  speak  a  good  word  for  them,  and  get  them  helped  by 
rich  people.  Also,  I  mean  to  be  a  benefactress  to  your 
valley;  thousands  and  thousands  of  people  will  bless 
my  name  for  what  I  shall  do  for  them.  Is  it  not  a  hap- 
piness to  be  able  to  help  others  ?" 

Eveline  paused  for  an  answer.  Peter  felt  he  ought 
to  say  something,  if  it  was  only  to  show  that  he  had  not 
become  dumb. 

"  And  does  all  this  money  come  from  the  Bondavara 
Company  ?"  he  asked. 

Eveline  blushed  scarlet.  How  was  she  to  answer 
such  a  question  ? 


3o8  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  Not  altogether.  I  earn  a  good  deal  by  my  art ;  for 
every  performance  I  receive  five  hundred  gulden." 

"Five  hundred  gulden!"  thought  Peter.  "That  ex- 
plains a  great  deal.  A  good  salary  indeed  !  A  woman 
might  spare  some  of  her  clothing  to  earn  so  much  money. 
It  is  money  got  by  work,  and  not  such  hard  work  as 
carrying  coals.  She  had  to  show  her  legs  for  that 
also.  But  all  said  and  done,  it  was  money  honestly 
earned." 

Peter's  face  began  to  clear. 

"  There,  you  look  more  like  yourself.  Don't  look 
wicked  again,"  pleaded  Eveline;  "and  when  you  go 
back  home  tell  every  one  that  you  have  seen  me,  and 
that  we  had  a  great  talk  together,  and  are  good  friends 
again.  If  at  any  time  you  know  of  any  one  in  want, 
send  me  a  line,  and,  if  it  is  in  my  power,  I  will  gladly 
help  them.  You  must  marry,  if  you  are  not  already 
married.  No  ?  Well,  then,  you  must  choose  a  good 
girl,  Peter.  There  is  Panna,  she  is  just  the  wife  for 
you,  and  she  was  always  a  friend  of  mine  ,  or  there  is 
Amaza,  she  liked  you,  I  know,  and  she  is  an  excellent 
housekeeper ;  only,  don't  marry  Mauczi ;  you  would  be 
very  unhappy  with  her,  she  is  a  bad  girl.  And  in  case 
you  do  marry,  Peter,  here  are  my  wedding-presents  for 
your  wife  ;  and  remember,  I  advise  you  to  marry  Panna. 
Here  are  a  pair  of  ear-rings,  a  necklace,  and  a  brooch ; 
and  to  you  I  give,  as  a  remembrance  of  myself,  this  gold 
watch.  See,  Peter,  my  likeness  is  on  the  back.  Think 
of  me  sometimes  when  you  are  very  happy." 

When  she  said  these  words  Eveline's  eyes  overflowed, 
and  her  lips  trembled  convulsively.  Peter  saw  it,  and 
drew  the  conclusion  that  with  all  her  splendor  she  was 
not  happy.  One  thought  now  took  possession  of  him^ 
He  gave  no  heed  to  the  bridal  presents.     Whether  they 


TWO   SUPPLIANTS  309 

were  of  gold  or  lead  was  all  one  to  him,  no  one  should 
ever  see  them ;  but  what  he  thought  was: 

"  She  has  a  good  heart,  she  is  generous,  she  gives  with 
an  open  hand ;  but  I  do  not  care  for  her  gifts.  If  she 
will  only  kiss  me  once  I  will  bless  her.  What  is  a  kiss 
to  her?  An  alms,  one  out  of  the  numbers  she  gives  to 
those  fellows  on  the  stage,  with  their  smeared,  painted 
faces." 

Poor  fool!  he  didn't  know  that  stage  kisses  are  only 
mock  kisses,  just  as  stage  champagne  is  only  lemonade 
or  pure  water.  Peter  believed  that  one  kiss  from  Eve- 
line would  satisfy  his  thirst ;  it  would  assuage  the  pangs 
of  regret,  of  jealousv,  or  rage  that  had  consumed  him 
since  the  previous  night.  All  would  vanish  when  he 
would  touch  her  cold,  fresh  lips.  And,  after  all,  had 
they  not  been  betrothed  to  one  another — all  but  man 
and  wife?  Who  could  object?  Only  he  didn't  know 
how  to  express  what  was  in  his  mind. 

"And  now  let  us  eat  together,  Peter,"  said  Eveline, 
kindly.  "  I  am  certain  that  you  are  tired  of  all  the  good 
things  you  get  every  day ;  you  are  satiated  with  the 
Vienna  cookery.  Wait,  and  I  shall  cook  you  something 
myself — your  favorite  dish,  Peter,  which  you  often  said 
no  one  cooked  so  well  as  1  did.  I  shall  make  you  some 
porridge." 

Peter  was  electrified.  A  smile  broke  out  all  over  his 
face,  either  at  the  mention  of  his  favorite  dish,  or  at  the 
thought  that  his  hostess  would  herself  prepare  it.  But 
how  is  she  to  cook?  There  is  no  hearth,  no  cooking- 
vessels. 

"  Everything  will  be  here,"  said  Eveline,  laughing 
joyously.  "  I  shall  change  my  dress;  I  cannot  cook  in 
this." 

She  ran  off  as  she  spoke,  and  returned  in  two  minutes. 


3IO 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


Actresses  learn  how  to  dress  quickly.  She  now  wore  a 
white  embroidered  maid's  frock,  and  a  little  cap  on  her 
head.  She  called  no  one  to  help  her,  but  laid  a  cloth 
on  the  oak  table,  filled  a  silver  kettle  with  water,  set  it 
to  boil  on  a  spirit-lamp.  She  turned  up  the  sleeves  of 
her  dress  to  the  elbows,  and  shook  with  a  Hght  hand 
the  meal  into  the  boiling  water ;  then  she  turned  the 
mixture  deftly  with  a  silver  spoon  round  and  round  un- 
til it  became  thick.  Then  she  took  the  kettle  by  the 
handle,  emptied  it  on  to  a  glazed  clay  plate — yes,  actu- 
ally a  clay  plate ! — and  poured  some  cream  over  the 
mixture.  She  fetched  two  wooden  spoons,  one  for  Peter, 
one  for  herself. 

"Let  us  eat  olT  the  one  plate,  Peter." 

And  they  ate  this  porridge  off  one  plate.  Peter  felt 
a  strange  moisture  fill  his  eyes;  he  had  not  wept  since 
he  was  a  child.  The  porridge  was  excellent;  all  the 
cooks  in  Vienna  put  together  couldn't  have  given  him  a 
meal  so  much  to  his  mind.  There  was  wine  on  the' 
table,  but  no  glasses. 

Peasants  never  drink  during  meals ;  but  when  they 
had  finished  Eveline  fetched  a  clay  jug  and  asked 
Peter  to  drink,  after,  as  is  the  custom,  she  had  taken  a 
draught. 

"  Drink  this,  Peter  ;  it  is  your  old  favorite." 

There  was  mead  in  the  jug — a  very  innocent  sort  of 
drink — and  Peter  thought  it  was  his  duty  to  empty  the 
last  drop.  The  hell  that  had  been  raging  in  his  breast 
seemed  all  at  once  to  be  extinguished.  He  said  to  him- 
self: 

"Yes,  I  shall  go  back  to  the  church,  and  to  the  spot 
where  I  made  that  awful  vow ;  I  shall  implore  the  Holy 
Mother  to  allow  me  to  take  it  back.  I  shall  hurt  no 
one;    I    shall   take  no  revenge.     Let   the  green  grass 


TWO    SUPPLIANTS  311 

grow  again  in  the  fields,  and  let  her  live  in  splendor  in 
the  smiles  of  the  great  ones.  I  shall  not  grudge  her 
her  happiness.  This  day,  when  she  has  received  me  so 
kindly,  has  banished  from  my  memory  the  day  upon 
which  she  left  me.  But  I  shall  ask  her  for  one  kiss,  so 
that  I  may  remember  nothing  but  that." 

He  delayed,  however,  too  long  in  putting  his  desire 
into  words.  They  were,  indeed,  hovering  on  his  lips 
when  the  door  suddenly  opened,  and  a  servant  an- 
nounced that  his  excellency  was  in  the  drawing-room. 

(Now,  Peter,  God  help  you;  you  may  go  hence  with- 
out your  kiss  !) 

Eveline  could  hardly  say  good-bye  ;  she  had  to  change 
her  dress.  The  footman  showed  him  out  at  the  secret 
door;  there  another  footman  led  him  down  the  back 
stairs,  and,  opening  another  door,  left  Peter  in  a  narrow 
street,  where  he  had  never  been  before.  While  he  made 
the  best  of  his  way  to  the  hotel  he  had  leisure  to  think 
over  what  he  should  say  to  Evila  if  he  ever  again  had 
the  chance  of  being  alone  with  her  in  the  round  room. 
The  recollection  of  how  he  had  missed  his  opportunity 
roused  the  demon  again  in  his  mind.  The  burning  lava 
of  hell  began  once  more  to  fill  his  veins,  the  stream 
of  sulphur  which  the  lost  souls  are  ever  drinking.  He 
kept  repeating  to  himself,  '*The  grass  shall  not  grow 
again  !" 

By  the  time  he  reached  the  inn  he  brought  with  him  a 
g-oodly  company — hatred,  envy,  rage  at  his  own  weak- 
ness, horror  at  his  own  wickedness,  mixed  with  political 
fanaticism.    A  delightful  gathering  in  one  man's  breast. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 
FINANCIAL     INTRIGUE 

We  can  give  no  authentic  account  of  the  interview 
between  his  excellency  the  minister  and  his  beautiful 
hostess.  We  were  not  present,  and  neither  had  we  a 
phonograph. 

No  doubt  he  complimented  her  upon  her  charming 
talent,  and  promised  her  his  powerful  interest,  and  as  in 
this  world  nothing  is  given  for  nothing,  there  is  every 
probability  that  his  excellency,  who  was  an  undoubted 
scoundrel,  hinted  at  the  reward  he  would  expect  for 
using  his  powerful  interest  in  her  behalf;  upon  which 
Eveline,  like  a  prudent  woman,  wishing  to  have  every- 
thing in  blnck  and  white,  produced  from  the  drawer  of 
her  writing-table  the  parchment  which  we  have  already 
heard  of. 

His  excellency  took  the  paper,  probably  believing  it 
was  a  petition  to  grant  her  an  engagement.  He  held  it 
in  his  hand  while  he  smilingly  assured  her  that  the  mat- 
ter was  as  good  as  concluded.  It  is,  however,  more  than 
probable  that  when  he  gave  a  hurried  glance  at  the  con- 
tents his  face  assumed  its  official  expression;  he  saw 
it  did  not  refer  to  an  operatic  engagement,  but  to  the 
grant  for  the  Bondavara  Railway.  Seeing  this,  it  is 
likely  that  his  excellency  got  up  at  once,  and,  hat  in 
hand,  explained  to  his  lovely  hostess  how  distressed  he 
felt  not  to  be  in  a  position  to  comply  with  her  wishes, 


FINANCIAL    INTRIGUE  313 

as  there  were  insuperable  objections  in  the  way,  great 
opposition  from  tlie  legislative  body,  and  yet  greater  op- 
position in  the  Upper  House,  where  Prince  Sondersheim 
was  working  heaven  and  earth  against  tlie  Bondavara 
Railway,  and,  therefore,  from  political  and  financial  rea- 
sons, from  the  condition  of  the  country  and  many 
other  causes,  it  would  be  impossible,  or  almost  impos- 
sible, to  hold  out  any  hope  of  granting  the  Bondavara 
Railway  a  guarantee  from  the  government.  That  then 
his  excellency  made  a  profound  bow  and  left  the  room 
may  be  considered  a  fact.  It  is  psychologically  certain 
that  he  descended  the  staircase  with  a  frown  of  vexation 
on  his  face,  and  that  he  murmured  between  his  teeth  : 

"If  I  had  known  that  I  was  going  to  talk  to  the 
banker's  wife  I  should  never  have  come  here."  As  he 
got  into  his  carriage — and  this  is  historical — he  banged 
the  door  with  such  violence  that  the  glass  window  was 
shattered  in  pieces. 

At  the  very  hour  when  this  interview  was  taking 
place  a  committee-meeting  was  being  held  in  Prince 
Theobald's  palace,  which  had  for  its  object  to  lay  before 
the  shareholders  the  necessity  of  paying  the  third  in- 
stalment— a  critical  operation,  this  attack  upon  the 
pockets  of  the  public.  The  Bondavara  Railway  now 
played  its  part.  Felix  Kaulmann  announced  he  had 
every  confidence  that  in  a  couple  of  weeks  it  would  be  a 
fact.  The  deputation  from  Bondathal  had  caused  a 
sensation,  besides  which  the  company  had  the  interest 
of  a  very  influential  person,  who  could  persuade  his  ex- 
cellency to  do  anything,  even  give  the  grant  for  the  rail- 
road. The  finely  cut,  aristocratic  face  of  the  president 
did  not  betray  by  a  sign  that  he  knew  who  this  person 
was. 


314  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Kaulmann  never  for  a  moment  suspected  that  Eveline 
told  the  prince  the  names  of  all  the  visitors  who  came 
to  the  palace  during  his  absence,  and  that  they  were  ad- 
mitted tlirough  the  little  door.  He  would  have  called 
such  stupidity  by  an  ugly  name. 

While  the  meeting  was  sitting  a  note  was  brought  to 
Kaulmann,  who  at  once  recognized  Eveline's  writing. 
He  read  the  letter  quickly,  then  laid  it  on  the  table  with 
a  discontented  air. 

"What  is  that?"  asked  the  prince,  pointing  to  a  roll 
of  paper. 

.  It  was  the  unsigned  document  which  Eveline  had  re- 
turned. 

Kaulmann  wrote  on  a  slip  of  paper,  "  Another  hitch 
in  that  damned  railway." 

The  prince  said  to  himself,  *'  Then  his  wife  has  again 
escaped."  Then  he  bent  over  Kaulmann,  and,  laying 
his  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  whispered  to  him: 

"  My  dear  friend,  one  doesn't  get  everything  by  a 
pair  of  black  eyes." 

Spitzhase  was  the  secretary  of  the  meeting.  After 
this  little  scene  he  wrote  upon  a  piece  of  paper,  and, 
twisting  it  up,  handed  it  to  Kaulmann.  Kaulmann  read 
it;  then  tore  it  in  small  pieces  and  shrugged  his 
shoulders. 

"  I  know  all  that,''  he  said,  sulkily.  "  I  don't  want 
any  advice." 

The  committee  went  away  in  bad  humor  with  one  an- 
other. The  expense  of  bringing  the  deputation  from 
Bondathal  had  been  two  thousand  gulden,  and  this 
comedy  had  been  of  no  use.  The  last  stake  should  now 
be  played.  Csanta  had  determined  not  to  pay  the  third 
instalment.  He  would  sell  all  his  shares  at  the  price 
quoted  and  refill  his  casks  with  silver.      On  the  day  of 


FINANCIAL    INTRIGUE 


315 


the  Proclamation,  however,  he  received  a  letter  from 
Spitzhase,  which  ran  as  follows : 

"Sir, — To-morrow  Herr  Kaulmann  is  going  to  you  to  offer  to 
buy  all  your  shares  at  forty  -  five  florins  exchange.  Be  on  your 
guard.  I  can  assure  you  tljat  the  government  has  signed  a  grant 
for  the  Bondavara  Railway,  and  so  soon  as  this  is  public  the  shares 
will  rise  another  twenty  per  cent." 

Csanta  believed  in  Spitzhase  as  in  an  oracle,  and  with 
reason.  All  happened  as  he  said.  Immediately  upon 
the  issue  of  the  Proclamation,  and  when  the  shares  were 

a  little  fiat,  Kaulmann  appeared  in  X ;  and  offered 

him  forty-five  florins  exchange  upon  his  shares.  But 
the  old  Greek  was  firm,  not  one  would  he  part  with ;  he 
would  rather  take  his  last  cask  to  Vienna  and  empty  its 
contents  than  part  with  one  share. 

He  was  rewarded  for  his  firmness.  Two  days  later 
he  read  in  the  newspaper  how  generously  both  Houses 
had  voted  a  grant  to  the  Bondavara  Railway. 

His  excellency  the  prime-minister  had  himself  plead- 
ed for  the  cause  in  the  Lords  and  Deputies  House,  and 
had  proved  conclusively  that,  from  the  political  point  of 
view,  from  the  present  favorable  condition  of  the  money 
market,  as  also  from  the  side  of  the  landed  interest, 
from  every  point  of  view — strategical,  financial,  co-oper- 
ative, and  universal — the  government  guarantee  for  the 
Bondavara  Railway  was  absolutely  necessary,  and,  as  a 
natural  consequence,  the  motion  was  carried.  Prince 
Waldemar,  indeed,  opposed  it  vigorously,  but  his  fol- 
lowing was  small,  so  nobody  minded  him. 

At  the  next  audit  of  the  Bondavara  Company's  ac- 
counts presented  to  the  shareholders  there  appeared 
under  the  heading  of  expenditure  this  remarkable  entry: 
"  Expense  of  foundations,  forty  thousand  gulden." 


3l6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"What  does  this  mean?"  said  the  shareholders,  with 
one  voice. 

Kauhnann  whispered  something  to  the  man  nearest 
him  ;  he  passed  the  whisper  on,  whereupon  every  one 
nodded  his  head,  and  tried  t©  think  it  was  all  right. 
So  it  appeared  to  be,  for  after  the  government  grant  to 
the  railway  the  Bondavara  shares  rose  to  seventy  florins 
above  par.  Nothing  could  be  more  convincing.  Csanta 
had  punch  at  dinner,  and  got  drunk  for  joy. 

Some  evenings  later  Eveline  met  his  excellency  in 
the  green-room  of  the  Treumann  Theatre.  The  minis- 
ter thought  it  was  time  to  press  for  payment  of  his  ser- 
vices. 

"My  dear  lady,"  he  said,  "have  I  not  obeyed  your 
wishes  in  regard  to  the  Bondavara  Railway?" 

Eveline  made  him  a  low  courtesy.  She  w^ore  the  cos- 
tume of  the  Duchess  of  Gerolstein. 

"  I  am  eternally  indebted  to  your  excellency,"  she 
said.  "  To-morrow  evening  I  shall  blow  you  forty  t/iou- 
saud  kisses." 

At  the  words  "forty  thousand"  his  excellency  grew 
red.  He  turned  on  his  heel,  and  for  the  future  Eveline 
was  relieved  from  his  attentions  ;  but  it  was  also  quite 
certain  that  she  had  lost  all  chance  of  an  engagement 
at  the  Opera-house.  She  might  sing  like  a  nightingale, 
but  her  petition  would  never  be  signed. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 
THE    BONDAVARA    RAILWAY 

The  Bondavara  Railway  was  begun.  Prince  Walde- 
mar  and  his  followers,  the  bears,  were  crushed— there  are 
always  people  who  die  of  hunger  in  the  midst  of  a  plen- 
teous harvest. 

Prince  Waldemar  met  his  noble  relative,  Prince  Theo- 
bald, at  the  Jocky  Club.  Their  encounter  was  hardly  a 
friendly  one,  considering  their  close  relationship. 

Said  Prince  Waldemar:  "You  have  chosen  to  put 
yourself  at  the  head  of  my  enemies.  You  have  done 
your  utmost  to  trump  my  best  card.  You  have  allied 
yourself  with  that  man  Kaulmann,  with  whom  I  am  on 
bad  terms.  I  sought  your  granddaughter  in  marriage; 
you  promised  she  should  be  my  wife,  and  then  you  sent 
her  away  from  Vienna.  You  have  invented  all  manner 
of  pretexts  to  keep  her  at  Pesth,  and  now  the  secret  is 
out— she  is  betrothed  to  Salista.  I  had  a  fancy  for  a 
pretty  little  woman,  and  just  to  prevent  my  having  her 
you  invite  her  to  your  palace  and  forbid  her  to  receive 
my  visits.  Worse  than  all,  you  have  given  over  your 
only  unmortgaged  property,  Bondavara,  to  a  swindling 
company,  who  want  to  set  themselves  over  me ;  and 
you  have  become  their  president.  You  have  schemed 
and  jockeyed  the  government  into  giving  the  guarantee 
for  a  railway  that  won't  pay  two  per  cent.  You  haven't 
an  idea  how  you  are  implicated  in  these  transactions. 


3lJ^  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

I  pity  you — for  I  have  always  felt  esteem  for  you — and 
I  intend  to  set  myself  the  task  of  regulating  jj'6'z/r  affairs 
some  day.  Meantime  take  care,  for  if  1  succeed  in 
upsetting  the  human  pyramid  upon  whose  shoulders 
you  stand  the  greatesty^?//  will  be  yours." 

Of  all  this  long  harangue  Prince  Theobald  only  gath- 
ered the  fact  that  Angela  had  chosen  the  Marquis  Salista 
for  her  husband,  and  had  never  written  to  tell  him.  She 
let  him  hear  it  from  another. 

The  Bondavara  Railway  was  being  pressed  forward ; 
it  was  nearly  finished.  There  was  no  further  need  for 
a  woman's  black-diamond  eyes.  They  had  done  their 
work.  One  day  Eveline  visited  her  husband.  Felix  re- 
ceived her  with  apparent  satisfaction. 

"I  have  come,"  she  said,  "to  ask  you  a  question. 
Prince  Theobald  has  been  for  some  days  so  sad ;  it  is 
melancholy  to  see  his  distress.  Have  you  any  idea  of 
its  cause  ?" 

"  I  have.  His  granddaughter,  the  Countess  Angela,  is 
married,  and  her  husband,  the  Marquis  Salista,  is  taking 
steps  to  put  the*prince  under  restraint,  on  account  of  the 
foolish  manner  in  which  he  is  squandering  his  fortune." 

"  And  much  of  this  foolish  extravagance  is  spent  on 
me." 

"  You  are  really  wonderfully  sharp,  Eveline." 

"  I  shall  put  an  end  to  his  spending  his  money  on  me. 
I  shall  tell  the  prince  that  I  must  leave  his  palace.  I 
shall  be  always  grateful  to  him  ;  he  has  been  a  benefac- 
tor to  me — and  so  have  you.  I  ought  to  have  men- 
tioned you  first.  You  have  had  me  educated  ;  you  have 
taught  me  a  great  deal.  I  have  to  thank  you  for  being 
what  I  am.  I  can  earn  my  own  living,  thanks  to  you.  I 
mean  to  become  a  real  artist.  But  I  must  leave  Vienna; 
I  do  not  care  to  remain  here  any  longer." 


THE    BONDAVARA    RAILWAY  319 

"I  think,  Eveline,  you  have  decided  well,  and  our 
minds  have  really  a  wonderful  sympathy.  I  was  about 
to  advise  the  very  course  to  you.  By  all  means,  leave 
Vienna;  by  all  means,  make  use  of  your  talents,  and 
take  up  work  seriously.  I  shall  continue  to  do  my  duty 
as  your  husband.  I  shall  take  you  to  Paris ;  I  shall 
settle  myself  in  my  house  there  on  purpose  to  be  of  as- 
sistance to  you.  You  will  make  a  hit  there,  I  know, 
and  we  shall  be  always  good  friends." 

In  spite  of  her  previous  experience  of  this  man's 
character,  Eveline  was  weak  enough  to  be  touched  by 
his  words  and  to  blame  herself  for  having  done  him  in- 
justice, for  it  was  a  great  sacrifice  on  his  part  to  leave 
Vienna  for  her  sake.  She  could  never  have  supposed 
that  this  sacrifice  was  part  of  his  well-considered  plan 
for  ridding  himself  of  her.  She  had  played  her  part  in 
making  his  fortune,  and  now  she  could  go  where  she 
chose — to  her  native  coal-pit  if  she  liked.  Once  in  Paris, 
he  would  be  able  to  say,  "  Madam,  you  are  here  under 
the  French  law,  and  as  no  civil  ceremony  has  passed  be- 
tween us,  you  are  not  my  wife  ;  you  are  at  liberty  to  call 
yourself  unmarried." 

Felix  had  another  reason  for  settling  himself  in  Paris. 
It  was  here  he  counted  on  carrying  out  the  second  part 
of  his  programme.  Now  that  the  Bondavara  Railway 
was  nearly  finished,  the  castles  in  the  air  of  the  Abbe' 
Samuel  were  beginning  to  take  shape;  the  next  step 
should  be  a  gigantic  loan  in  the  interest  of  the  Church. 
This  loan  would  be  another  means  of  aggrandizing  the 
house  of  Kaulmann  ;  its  reputation  would  be  world- 
wide. Already  Kaulmann's  name  was  of  European 
celebrity ;  he  belonged  to  the  stars  of  the  first  order  in 
the  financial  world.  From  being  a  baro?i  of  the  stock- 
exchange  he  had  become  a  prince.     If  he  succeeded  in 


320  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

effecting  I  his  loan  he  would  be  a  king  of  the  money- 
market,  before  whose  name  even  that  of  Rothschild 
would  pale. 

A  halo  was  also  beginning  to  surround  the  name  of 
the  Abbe  Samuel.  The  government  had  begun  to  see 
that  this  popular  orator  held  the  people  in  his  hand, 
and  could  lead  them  as  he  chose.  The  people  looked 
upon  him  as  their  benefactor,  a  man  whose  influence 
could  get  them  benefits.  Was  not  the  Bondavara  Rail- 
way a  proof  of  this  ?  The  twelve  Halinacoats  were  firm- 
ly persuaded  that  the  abbe'  had  carried  back  in  his 
pocket  the  government  grant.  The  clerical  party  ac- 
knowledged him  as  a  new  light.  In  Rome  he  was 
lauded  for  his  zeal  in  the  papal  cause.  If  he  was  made 
bishop,  which  was  almost  a  certainty,  he  would  be  the 
first  Hungarian  prelate  who  had  taken  his  seat  in  the 
Austrian  House  of  Lords.  The  minister  would  stare 
when  he  found  his  scheme  for  the  secularization  of 
Hungarian  Church  property  met  by  another  scheme 
from  the  new  bishop,  which,  while  proposing  a  gigantic 
loan  upon  these  same  Church  lands,  had  for  its 
object  the  elevation  of  the  Holy  See  by  these  very 
means.  The  money-markets  of  France,  Belgium,  and 
the  Roman  States  would  vie  with  one  another  in  pro- 
moting the  loan,  and  the  pontiff  would  look  upon  the 
man  who  had  conceived  such  a  project  as  the  saviour  of 
the  pontificate  ;  his  name  should  be  written  in  letters  of 
gold.  In  Hungary,  also,  the  scheme  would  be  favorably 
received  as  a  means  of  saving  the  church  property  al- 
ready threatened,  for  the  government  dared  not  refuse 
this  alternative. 

Moreover,  the  primate  was  an  old  man ;  the  pope  was 
still  older.  All  the  wheels  were  in  readiness  ;  the  ma- 
chine could  now  be  put  in  motion. 


THE    BONDAVARA    RAILWAY  32 1 

The  day  the  first  locomotive  steamed  out  of  the  Bon- 
davara  station  the  Abbe  Samuel  might  say  to  himself, 
"  The  way  to  Rome  is  clear."  It  would  be  also  safe  to 
prophesy  that  on  this  day  Ivan  Behrend's  ruin  would  be 
complete. 

This  railroad  would  bring  the  goods  of  the  Joint-Stock 
Company  into  the  markets  of  the  world,  where  they  could 
compete  with  the  coal  of  Prussia  and  the  English  coal. 
But,  it  will  be  said,  Ivan  had  the  same  chance;  his  coals 
were  equally  good,  and  the  giant  with  the  seven -mile 
boots  would  carry  his  coal  as  well  as  his  enemies'.  But 
here  was  where  the  shoes  pinched.  What  was  of  use  to 
the  company  was  destruction  to  him. 

The  railway  was  not  to  run  through  the  valley  where 
his  mine  was  situated,  although  that  line  was  the  best 
and  most  natural  course  to  take ;  instead  of  which 
mountains  had  to  be  made  level,  tunnels  had  to  be  bored 
through  the  hills,  to  avoid  his  colliery  and  to  carry  the 
rails  close  to  the  company's  mine.  In  consequence  of 
this,  Ivan  would  be  obliged  to  make  a  circuit  of  a  half- 
day's  journey  to  get  to  the  railway,  and  so  the  freightage 
to  the  station  made  his  goods  five  or  six  per  cent,  dearer 
than  those  of  the  company.  For  him,  therefore,  the  rail- 
road was  a  crushing  blow. 

In  the  meantime  the  end  of  the  year  drew  near,  the 
time  when  the  miners  were  to  receive  their  share  from 
the  profits.  But  profit  there  was  none.  Neither  coal 
nor  iron  had  any  sale.  The  company's  low  prices  had 
taken  every  customer  from  Ivan. 

Any  one  who  possesses  ready  money  can  always  say, 
even  if  he  loses,  that  he  wins ;  the  common  people  call  this 
eating  your  own  entrails.  Ivan  had  a  sum  by  him,  which 
he  had  carefully  gathered  in  better  days.       It  amounted, 


322  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

alltold,  to  several  thousands,  and  he  calculated  he  could 
hold  his  own  against  his  giant  rivals  for  at  least  ten 
years.  He  forgot  that  the  giants  were  cunning  as  well  as 
strong,  and  that  they  did  not  despise  the  smallest  artifice. 

When  the  railway  directors  issued  their  prospectus, 
inviting  all  contractors  to  send  in  contracts  for  iron  rails, 
etc.,  Ivan  thought  to  himself,  "  Now,  I  will  have  some 
fun.  The  shareholders  of  the  Joint-Stock  Company 
offer  their  iron  six  per  cent,  cheaper  than  it  costs  them. 
I  will  offer  to  the  railway  directors  to  deliver  iron  rails  at 
ten  per  cent,  cheaper  than  they  cost  me.  I  shall  lose 
fifty  thousand  gulden,  but  I  shall  have  the  satisfaction 
of  punishing  my  neighbors  for  their  folly  in  lowering  the 
price  of  the  raw  material." 

Simple  fool !  Just  as  an  honorable  gentleman  imag- 
ines that  when  a  letter  is  sealed  no  one  would  venture 
to  open  it,  so  Ivan  thought  that  all  the  offers  were  read 
together,  and  that  the  most  advantageous  to  the  company 
was  accepted. 

Good  gracious  !  nothing  of  the  kind. 

It  is  always  settled  beforehand  who  is  to  have  the 
contract.  When  the  proposals  come  in  it  sometimes 
happens  that  some  one  makes  a  yet  lower  offer  than  that 
of  the  protege,  and  this  last  is  then  told  to  take  pen  and 
ink  and  write  an  offer  proposing  to  give  the  goods  half 
per  cent,  lower  than  the  offer  made  by  the  outsider. 

This  is  a  well-known  trick,  and  it  is  only  men  like  Ivan, 
whose  minds  are  occupied  with  petrifactions  and  the 
stars,  who  are  in  ignorance  that  such  things  are  done. 

The  contract  offered  by  the  shareholders  was  half  per 
cent,  lower  than  the  one  offered  by  Ivan. 

But  even  this  rebuff  didn't  daunt  him.  Two  and  two 
make  four,  and  those  who  sin  against  multiplication  must 
come  to  ruin  sooner  or  later. 


THE    BONDAVARA    RAILWAY  323 

Ivan  continued  making  in  his  workshop  iron  bars  and 
rails.  He  accumulated  a  store  in  his  magazines.  Some 
time  they  would  be  wanted. 

The  Bondavara  Railroad  was  to  be  made. 

Csanta  wanted  to  sell  his  houses  in  X ;  the  whole 

street  was  for  sale.  He  said  he  was  going  to  live  in 
Vienna,  and  to  fill  his  office  of  one  of  the  directors  to 
the  company.  He  was  to  receive  a  large  salary,  and  to 
have  little  or  nothing  to  do.  He  had  changed  all  his 
gold  into  papers — there  is  no  use  nowadays  for  houses 
or  land  or  cattle  or  mines  ;  nothing  is  good  but  paper. 
//  wants  neither  groom  nor  manure  nor  jDay  nor  ma- 
chinery. 

Therefore,  he  wished  to  sell  the  whole  street.  Fort- 
unately, there  was  so  little  money  in  X that  the  in- 
habitants of  the  whole  town  put  together  couldn't  pro- 
duce enough  money  to  buy  a  poor  little  street. 

The  Bondavara  Railway  was  in  progress.  Along  the 
line  the  navvies  were  working  like  a  swarm  of  ants ; 
they  shoved  wheelbarrows  from  morning  until  night ; 
they  dug  the  ground,  blew  up  rocks,  bored  mountains, 
rammed  plugs  into  water-sources,  hewed  stones,  dammed 
rivers. 

In  the  dark  mouth  of  the  Bondavara  mine  one  man 
stood  immovable.  He  was  ever  watching  the  work. 
His  gloomy,  threatening  face  was  fixed  steadily  upon  a 
windlass. 

This  man  was  Peter  Saffran.  He  held  in  his  hand 
a  lump  of  coal,  and  as  he  looked  back  from  the  noisy 
landscape  to  the  remnant  of  trees  his  eyes  seemed  to 
say,  "Thou  art  the  cause  of  all  this  tumult,  this  wealth, 
this  splendor  ;  thou  art  a  living  power — thou  !"  And 
he  hurled  the  coal  against  the  wall. 


CHAPTER   XXV 
THE    POOR    DEAR    PRINCE 

"You  have  something  to  tell  me  :  what  is  it?"  asked 
Prince  Theobald,  as  he  entered  Eveline's  drawing-room 
in  answer  to  a  letter  from  her,  written  after  her  inter» 
view  with  her  husband. 

"  I  wish  to  leave  Vienna." 

"  Ah  !  this  is  sudden.     And  where  are  you  going?" 

"  My  husband  is  obliged  to  go  to  Paris.  I  am  going 
with  him." 

The  prince  looked  inquiringly  at  her.  ''Have  you, 
then,  grown  tired  of  being  under  my  care  ?" 

"I  am  afraid  I  cannot  deny  it.  I  am  like  a  slave  in 
a  gilded  cage.  I  am  a  sort  of  prisoner,  and  I  want  to 
see  life." 

"You  repent,  then,  of  the  promise  you  made  me? 
Well,  then,  I  release  you  ;  but  stay  with  me." 

"  I  should  be  too  proud  to  receive  benelits  from  any 
one  to  whom  I  am  ungrateful.  Besides,  it  w^ould  be 
enough  for  me  to  know  that  you  are  the  master  of  the 
palace  to  take  all  sense  of  freedom  from  me.  I  don't 
want  to  receive  any  more  favors." 

"  You  wish  to  become  an  actress  ?" 

"  I  do  wish  that."  Eveline  laid  a  stress  on  the  last 
word. 

"  From  ambition  ?" 

"  I  cannot  say  so.     If  I  were  ambitious  I  should  be 


THE    POOR    DEAR    PRINCE  325 

more  diligent.  I  want  my  freedom.  I  don't  want  my 
wings  clipped.    I  like  to  feel  I  can  use  them  as  I  choose." 

"  That  is  rather  a  dangerous  experiment  for  any  one 
so  young  and  pretty  as  you  are."' 

"  One  never  falls  so  low  that  one  cannot  rise  again." 

"  Where  did  you  learn  that  ?"' 

"  From  what  I  see  every  day." 

"  You  are  resolved  to  leave  me  ?" 

"  I  am — I  am — I  am  !"  Eveline  repeated  these  words 
impatiently. 

"  Then  1  had  better  free  you  from  my  disagreeable 
society  as  soon  as  possible,"  said  the  prince,  taking  up 
his  hat.  Then,  with  an  ironical  bow,  he  added,  "  Forgive 
me,  madam,  for  the  weary  hours  I  must  have  imposed 
upon  you." 

Eveline,  with  an  impatient  stamp  of  her  foot,  turned 
her  back  upon  him.  The  prince,  when  he  had  got  as  far 
as  the  anteroom,  found  that  he  had  forgotten  his  walk- 
ing:-stick  in  the  drawinsf-room.  It  had  been  a  Christmas 
present  from  Eveline,  and  he  would  not  leave  it  with 
her.     He  went  back  to  fetch  it. 

He  opened  the  door  gently,  and  he  saw  a  sight  that 
surprised  him.  Eveline  still  stood  with  her  back  to  him. 
She  had  in  her  hands  the  stick  he  had  come  for,  which 
she  kissed  two  or  three  times,  sobbing  bitterly.  The 
prince  withdrew  gently.  Everything  was  made  clear  to 
him.  Eveline  quarrelled  with  him  to  make  the  separa- 
tion less  hard  for  him.  She  pretended  to  be  mean  and 
ungrateful  in  order  that  he  might  forget  her  more  easily. 
Why  did  she  do  this  ? 

The  next  day  the  prince  found  the  solution  of  this 
riddle.  His  servant  brought  him  the  key  of  Eveline's 
apartments.  The  lady  had  left  by  the  very  earliest  train. 
The  prince  hastened  to  the  palace,  and  he  then  under- 


326  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

stood  why  it  was  that  Eveline  had  left.  She  had  taken 
nothing;  everything  was  there.  She  was  a  pearl  among 
women.  A  lock  of  her  hair  was  wound  round  the  handle 
of  the  walking-stick — her  beautiful  hair,  which  fell  from 
the  crown  of  her  head  to  her  feet. 

Eveline  arrived  in  Paris  before  Kaulmann.  It  had 
been  settled  between  them  that  she  should  stop  at  a  hotel 
until  he  arranged  where  she  should  live. 

Some  weeks  later  Felix  came  and  said  :  "Your  house 
is  ready  for  you.     Will  you  come  and  see  it?" 

Eveline  drove  with  Felix  to  her  new  home,  whicli  was 
in  the  Rue  Sebastopol,  one  of  the  best  situations  in  Paris, 
the  first  floor.  As  she  came  into  the  apartment  her  heart 
beat.  Everything  was  familiar  to  her  eyes — the  cherry- 
colored  curtains,  the  carpets,  the  dove-colored  panels, 
the  black  marble  fireplace,  the  oval  frames  in  china, 
the  window  looking  into  the  garden — all  as  in  A^ienna. 
The  same  pictures,  the  same  service  of  silver,  the  ward- 
robes, the  jewel-cases,  even  to  the  glove  which  she  had 
left  upon  the  table. 

The  tears  fell  from  her  eyes  as  she  murmured  to  her- 
self, "  The  good,  kind  prince  !" 

Felix,  however,  with  perfect  c?//i9w//',  took  all  the  credit 
to  himself,  and  asked  her,  "  Have  I  not  arranged  your 
apartment  to  your  taste.?" 

Eveline  made  him  no  answer.  Her  thoughts  were 
with  the  good,  kind  prince,  her  best  friend.  To  him  she 
owed  her  engagement  at  the  Opera-house  in  Paris,  the 
wreaths  that  were  thrown  to  her  on  her  first  appearance, 
the  carriage  she  drove  in  every  day.  All  was  due  to  the 
paternal  interest  of  Prince  Theobald,  who,  from  the  day 
he  called  her  his  daughter,  had  never  ceased  to  care  for 
her  as  his  child. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 
DIES    IR^ 

One  gloomy  day  in  late  autumn  Ivan  went  from  the 
forge  to  his  mine,  and  upon  the  way  his  thoughts  ran  in 
a  sad  groove.  "What  a  curious  world  we  live  in  ;  every- 
thing goes  wrong — at  least,  for  most  people.  Bread  is 
not  for  the  wise  man,  nor  success  for  the  strong ;  it  was 
so  in  the  days  of  Solomon.  One  bad  year  follows  the 
other,  for  even  nature  acts  like  a  step-mother  to  men. 
The  poor  are  hungry  and  beg  for  bread,  and  when  they 
have  eaten  they  forget  from  whom  they  received  nourish- 
ment. All  the  great  proprietors  go  to  their  graves  with- 
out doing,  either  for  tlieir  country  or  their  neighbor,  any- 
thing worth  mentioning  ;  all  the  burden  of  the  present 
and  the  future  seems  to  fall  upon  the  less  numerous 
and  more  exhausted  class.  The  patriots  are  all  hollow ; 
they  weep  when  they  are  in  their  cups ;  they  show  their 
fists,  but  no  one  dares  to  strike  a  blow.  All  manly 
strength  is  gone  ;  there  is  not  a  man  worth  the  name 
in  the  whole  country.  And  the  women  — they  are  all 
the  same,  from  the  high-born  dame  to  the  peasant  girl 
— false  and  heartless.  Even  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth  it  is  no  better.  For  the  last  two  days  there  has 
been  choke-damp  in  the  mine  ;  the  escape  of  gas  has 
been  so  great  that  the  men  cannot  work ;  it  is  as  likely  as 
not  that  there  will  be  an  explosion  while  I  am  in  the  pit." 

You  see,  Ivan's  thoughts  were  as  black  as  the  land- 


328  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

scape,  and  suited  to  its  gloom.  His  road  from  the  forge 
to  the  mine  led  him  past  the  workmen's  houses,  and  as 
he  passed  one  of  these  a  miner  came  stumbling  out  of 
the  door.  The  house  was  a  wine-shop.  The  miner  had 
his  back  towards  Ivan,  who  did  not  recognize  him,  but 
he  noticed  that  the  man  had  great  difficulty  in  walking 
straight. 

"  I  wonder  who  it  is  that  has  got  drunk  so  early  in 
the  day  ?"  thought  Ivan,  and  hastened  after  the  man  to 
find  out  who  he  was.  When  he  got  up  with  him  he  saw, 
to  his  surprise,  that  it  was  Peter  Saffran.  This  struck 
Ivan  unpleasantly ;  he  recalled  how,  on  the  day  when 
Evila  had  eloped,  Saffran  had  sworn  never  again  to  touch 
brandy ;  he  knew  also  that  Peter  had  kept  this  oath. 
He  recollected  also,  but  imperfectly,  that  when  he  said  that 
he  wouldn't  drink  any  more  he  had  let  fall  some  threat. 
Well,  it  didn't  much  matter ;  if  he  got  drunk,  that  was  his 
affair.  But  why  did  he  come  to  Ivan's  village  to  get 
drunk  ?  Why  didn't  he  go  to  the  tavern  in  his  own 
colony. 

Ivan  hailed  the  man.     "  Good-morning,  Peter." 

Peter  did  not  return  the  greeting ;  he  stared  like  a 
stupid  dog  who  doesn't  know  his  own  master.  He 
looked  at  Ivan  with  a  wild  eye  ,  he  pressed  his  lips  to- 
gether, and  his  nostrils  extended.  He  drew  his  cap 
down  over  his  eyes. 

Ivan  asked  him,  "  Has  the  choke-damp  got  into  your 
pit?" 

No  answer  from  Peter.  He  shoved  his  cap  from  off 
his  forehead,  and,  opening  his  mouth  to  its  full  extent, 
bent  his  face  to  that  of  Ivan,  and  let  his  hot,  spirit-laden 
breath  blow  over  him.  Then,  without  saying  a  syllable, 
he  turned  away,  and  set  off  running  in  the  direction  of  the 
company's  mine. 


DIES    IRJE  329 

The  heated  breath  of  the  man,  with  the  sickening 
smell  of  bad  brandy,  sent  a  shudder  through  Ivan's 
frame.  He  stood  still,  staring  after  the  runaway,  who, 
when  he  had  got  a  certain  distance,  stopped  and  looked 
back.  Ivan  could  see  his  face  distinctly.  He  looked 
like  a  madman  ;  his  lips  hung  apart,  like  those  of  a 
mad  dog ;  his  white  teeth  gleamed  in  contrast  to  his  red 
gums.  His  whole  appearance  was  so  strange  and  des- 
perate that  Ivan  laid  hold  of  the  revolver  in  his  pocket. 
For  one  moment  the  thought  passed  through  his  mind 
that  he  would  be  doing  a  good  work  in  freeing  the 
world  of  such  a  creature,  but  on  second  thoughts  he  let 
him  go  unharmed,  and  continued  his  way  to  the  mine  to 
look  after  the  ventilators. 

In  the  vault  the  proportion  between  the  hydrogen 
and  the  air  was  three  to  seven.  Ivan  forbade  any  work 
to  be  done  in  the  mine,  or  any  pumping  out  of  the 
dangerous  gas.  He  employed  his  men  in  the  open  air, 
removing  the  coal  that  was  required,  and  only  allowed 
those  to  remain  below  who  had  to  look  after  the  air- 
pumps. 

He  remained  the  whole  day  on  the  spot,  controlling 
everything  and  keeping  a  close  watch.  Towards  even- 
ing he  left  the  mine  and  returned  to  his  house.  Every- 
thing was  apparently  safe.  It  was  a  nasty,  foggy, 
gloomy  evening ;  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  reacted 
upon  the  mind  and  body  alike.  When  nature  is  out  of 
sorts,  man  suffers ;  when  the  sky  is  overcast,  he,  too,  is 
gloomy.  And  when  the  earth  is  sick,  when  w^orms  and 
mould  destroy  the  fruit,  when  the  harvest  is  ruined  by 
blight,  and  the  cattle  are  decimated  by  pestilence — above 
all,  when  the  noxious  vapors  from  the  coal-mines  rise  to 
the  surface  and  poison  the  very  air — then  men  sicken 
and  die. 


330  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

All  through  the  day  Ivan  had  felt  cold  shudders  run- 
ning over  his  whole  body.  His  limbs  were  contracted 
by  that  unpleasant  feeling  called  goose-skin,  and  when 
he  got  home  he  shivered,  although  his  room  was  warm. 
He  was  restless,  uneasy.  He  could  occupy  himself 
with  nothing;  everything  palled  upon  him.  The  worst 
symptom  of  all,  he  could  not  even  work. 

When  a  man  refuses  food  or  drink,  when  he  does  not 
care  for  the  company  of  a  pretty  woman,  when  his  club 
wearies  him,  these  are  unhealthy  signs;  but  when  he 
turns  away  from  work,  and  finds  no  longer  any  interest 
in  his  usual  occupation,  then  it  is  time  to  send  for  the 
physician. 

Ivan's  head  throbbed,  yet  he  could  not  sleep,  and  to 
stay  awake  was  torture.  He  lay  down,  and  with  a  reso- 
lute effort  closed  his  eyes.  A  panorama  of  past,  present, 
and  future  kept  dancing  before  him.  Peter  Saffran's 
hot,  stinking  breath  seemed  to  breathe  again  in  his  nos- 
trils, and  the  very  horror  brought  back  to  his  memory 
the  man's  long-forgotten  words  : 

"  No  more  during  my  life  shall  I  drink  brandy — only 
once;  and  when  I  do,  and  when  you  smell  from  my 
breath  that  I  have  been  drinking,  or  see  me  coming  out 
of  the  public-house,  then  take  my  advice  and  stop  safe 
at  home,  for  on  that  day  no  man  shall  know  in  what 
manner  he  shall  die." 

Who  cares  for  the  threat  of  a  drunken  man  ?  Let  me 
sleep.  No,  the  drunken  man  would  not  allow  Ivan  to 
sleep  ;  his  breath  was  there.  Faugh  !  it  made  him  sick. 
His  blear-eyed,  pallid  face  was  there  bending  over  the 
bed,  looking  into  Ivan's  eyes  with  his  blood-shot  eyes; 
his  open  mouth  and  shut  teeth  came  quite  close  to  the 
sleeper,  who,  vainly  beating  his  arms  in  the  air,  tried  to 
drive  away  this  horrid  nightmare. 


DIES    IRiE  331 

Ah,  what  is  that  sound  ?  A  crack  like  the  crack  of 
doom  awoke  Ivan;  not  alone  awoke  him,  but  threw  him 
violently  out  of  bed  and  on  to  the  floor,  where  he  lay 
stunned. 

His    first    consecutive    thoughts   were,   "The   choke- 
damp  has  exploded  !     My  mine  is  in  ruins  !"     This  was 
enough  to  get  him  on  his  legs  and  to  send  him  out  in 
the  darkness— darkness,  raven-black  darkness,  the  still- 
ness only  broken  by  a  whistling  sound  in  the  air.     Ivan 
stood   for   a  moment   wondering.      He  felt    the    earth 
swaying  under  his  feet ;  he  heard  a  subterranean  grum- 
bling.    There  !  the  pitch-dark  night  was  suddenly  illu- 
mined ;  a  bright  pillar  of  fire  rose  out  of  the  Bondavara 
Company's  mine.     At  the  same  moment  another  fearful 
explosion  was  heard,  worse  than  the  last.     The  windows 
of  the  house  were  shattered  in  a  thousand  pieces,  the 
chimneys,  the   roofs   fell   in.     The   pressure   of  the   air 
forced  Ivan  back   and  threw   him  against  the  door  of 
his  own  house.     By  the  strong  light  of  the  demoniacal 
pillar  he  could  see  his  own  workmen  all  on  their  knees 
with   a  horrified   expression    upon  their   ghastly  faces. 
Women  and  children  were  gathered  at  the  doors  of  the 
houses,  but  the  terror  was  so  great  that  every  one  was 
speechless. 

The  entire  valley  glowed  like  the  crater  of  a  volcano. 
It  vomited  forth  a  rain  of  fire-sparks,  as  in  Gomorrah. 
The  flames  reached  almost  to  the  clouds,  and  heaven 
sent  forth  clap  upon  clap  of  thunder,  the  like  of  which 
in  the  most  terrible  thunder-storm  had  never  been  heard. 
Two  minutes  later  the  flames  were  extinguished.  The 
whole  valley  was  again  enveloped  in  pitch-darkness,  only 
over  the  company's  mine  floated  a  filmy  white  cloud. 

"The    neighboring    mine    has    exploded!"    shrieked 
Ivan,     "  Help  !  help  !"'     He  never  remembered  that  it 


332  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

was  his  enemy's  mine ;  he  only  thought  that  there,  in 
the  bowels  of  the  earth,  a  fearful,  indescribably  fearful, 
calamity  had  happened.  "  Help  !  help  !"  he  cried,  and 
ran  to  the  alarm-bell,  at  which  he  pulled  with  all  the 
strength  of  his  body. 

His  own  men  came  rushing  in  hot  haste,  all  repeating 
to  one  another,  as  if  it  were  something  new,  "The  neigh- 
boring mine  has  exploded  !" 

Then  followed  a  significant  pause.  The  men  carry- 
ing lanterns  surrounded  Ivan,  and  looked  at  him  ques- 
tioningly,  waiting  for  him  to  speak. 

How  had  he  guessed  their  thoughts  ? 

Those  who  under  God's  free  heavens  drew  their 
breath  were  bound  to  go  to  the  rescue  of  those  who  lay 
buried  underground,  and  who  perchance  still  lived. 
Here  it  was  no  case  of  friend  or  foe.  They  were  human 
beings;  that  was  enough. 

"We  must  get  the  ventilators,  the  well-buckets  to 
work!"  called  Ivan.  "  Let  each  man  bring  a  thick  cloth 
to  tie  over  his  mouth.  Bring  crow-bars,  cords,  ladders, 
india-rubber  tubes,  hose-pipes.  The  women  only  are  to 
remain  behind.     Forward,  my  men  !" 

He  threw  on  an  old  coat,  seized  a  strong  iron  bar, 
which  he  carried  on  his  shoulder,  placed  himself  at  the 
head  of  his  men,  and  led  the  way  to  the  company's  mine. 

It  was  not  easy  to  force  an  entrance  into  the  works. 
The  proprietors  had  set  up  all  manner  of  barricades  in 
order  to  prevent  Ivan's  carts  from  making  any  use  of 
the  new  road.  On  the  gates  there  were  boards  with 
"No  trespassing.  No  one  to  pass  this  way  without  a 
written  order." 

No  one  now  minded  these  orders.  If  a  door  or  a 
gate  impeded  their  progress,  Ivan  thrust  his  iron  rod 
throudi  it  and  soon  made  a  passage,  through  which  his 


DIES   IR^  ^;^^ 

men  rushed  pell-mell.  The  miners  did  not  pause  to 
harness  any  horses  to  the  machines.  They  harnessed 
themselves,  while  others  shoved  behind,  and  drove  them 
on  over  sticks  and  stones  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  pit. 
Like  an  army  of  lunatics  the  party  of  rescuers  rushed 
on  through  the  night,  making  their  way  as  best  they 
could  by  means  of  the  lanterns  fastened  to  their  waist- 
bands. Soon,  however,  the  darkness  was  again  illu- 
mined. The  forge  nearest  to  the  pit,  and  consequently 
the  most  exposed  to  the  fiery  heat,  blew  up  suddenly, 
and  the  flames  from  the  heating-oven  filled  the  air  with 
a  red  glow.  The  miners  avoided,  however,  the  direction 
in  which  it  burned,  as  it  would  be  impossible  to  predicate 
the  direction  which  the  molten  metal  would  take. 

When  they  reached  the  pit  an  awful  spectacle  pre- 
sented itself.  The  ventilation-ovens  which  were  placed 
over  the  shaft-mouth  were  gone.  The  bricks  and  tiles 
were  scattered  in  a  thousand  directions  all  over  the 
fields.  The  large  windlass  of  cast-iron  lay  on  the 
ground  at  a  considerable  distance  from  its  former  posi- 
tion, and  of  the  conical,  bell-shaped  buildings  hardly  a 
stone  was  left.  Only  one  wall  was  still  standing ;  the 
iron  fasteners  hung  from  its  side.  The  northern  en- 
trance to  the  pit  had  fallen  in.  The  handsome  stone 
gates  lay  in  ruins.  Stones,  beams,  iron  bars,  coals  were 
all  mixed  up  together  in  heterogeneous  confusion,  as  if 
a  volcano  had  vomited  them  out. 

The  air  was  filled  with  the  cries  of  weeping  women. 
Hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  women  and  children,  prob- 
ably widows  and  orphans,  held  up  their  hands  to  heaven 
and  wept.  Under  their  feet  their  husbands,  their  fa- 
thers, brothers,  lovers  lay  buried,  and  no  one  could  help 
them. 

More   from   recklessness   than   from  actual  courage 


334  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

some  men  had  already  attempted  to  go  down  into  the 
pit.  They  liad  been  at  once  stunned  by  the  pressure  of 
the  gas,  and  now  their  comrades,  at  the  risk  of  their 
own  lives,  were  trying  to  drag  them  out  by  cords  and 
slings.  Already  one  lay  on  the  grass,  while  the  women 
stood  round  him  wringing  their  hands. 

Ivan  now  began  to  make  his  plans.  "  In  the  first 
place,"  he  said,  "no  one  is  to  venture  near  the  pit. 
Let  all  wait  until  I  return." 

He  took  his  way  towards  the  house  of  the  directors. 
He  forgot  that  he  had  sworn  never  to  hold  any  com- 
munication with  Raune.  In  any  case,  he  was  not  to  be 
found.  In  the  next  town  there  was  high  festival.  The 
directors  of  the  new  railway  had  given  a  banquet  in 
honor  of  the  completion  of  the  tunnel.  Raune'  was 
there.  Ivan,  however,  met  the  second  engineer  coming 
out  of  his  house.  He  was  a  cool,  phlegmatic  man,  and 
consoled  himself  with  the  trite  reflection  that  these 
things  happened  everywhere.  "The  gates  must  be  re- 
built," he  said.  "  The  pit  roads  must  again  be  re-made, 
and  probably  we  shall  have  to  sink  another  shaft.  It 
will  cost  a  lot  of  money.     Voila  tout T' 

"  How  many  men  are  below  ?"  asked  Ivan. 

"  Probably  about  a  hundred  and  fifty." 

"  Only  !     And  what  is  to  be  done  for  them  ?" 

"  It  will  be  a  hard  job  to  get  them  out,  for  they  were 
at  work  at  the  passage  which  we  were  making  be- 
tween the  north  pit  and  the  east  to  improve  the  venti- 
lation." 

"Therefore  there  is  no  other  entrance  to  the  pit  but 
the  one  which  has  fallen  in  ?" 

"  No  ;  and  the  eastern  shaft  is  also  in  ruins.  The 
flames  came  from  there ;  you  must  have  seen  them." 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  couldn't  understand  how  it  was  that  the 


DIES    IR.E  335 

second  explosion  followed  the  first  after  an  interval  of  a 
few  minutes." 

"That  is  easily  explained.  The  communicating  wall 
was  already  so  thin  that  the  explosion  in  the  north  pit 
blew  it  into  fragments  ;  the  gas  in  the  east  pit  undoubt- 
edly was  not  kindled  by  the  flames,  for  they  had  al- 
ready gone  out,  but  by  the  strong  pressure  of  the  air, 
which  was  heated  to  fever-heat  by  the  accumulation  of 
coal,  and  which,  therefore,  exploded  through  the  shaft. 
So  it  is  when  you  put  sand  into  the  barrel  of  a  gun;  the 
powder  bursts  the  barrel  before  it  throws  out  the  sand." 

It  was  plain  that  the  engineer  took  a  very  cold- 
blooded view  of  the  whole  affair,  and  that  the  design  for 
the  new  stone  gate  was  a  matter  of  more  interest  to  him 
than  the  hundred  and  fifty  lives  which  were  in  jeopardy. 
Ivan  saw  there  was  little  assistance  to  be  got  from  him. 

"Before  we  can  attempt  the  rescue  of  the  men  who 
are  buried  in  the  pit,"  he  said,  "  we  must  pump  the  gas 
out  of  the  opening  of  the  cavern.  Where  is  your  air- 
pump  ?" 

"Up  there,"  returned  the  engineer,  pointing  to  the 
sky  ;   "  that  is  to  say,  if  it  hasn't  fallen  down." 

"  You  have  no  portable  ventilator  ?" 

"  We  never  contemplated  the  necessity  of  having 
one." 

"  I  have  brought  mine,  if  we  can  adjust  it." 

"  I  would  gladly  know  how  that  can  be  done.  If  the 
ventilator  has  a  copper  tube,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
introduce  it  througli  all  the  zigzag  of  the  rubbish  and 
general  wreck  ;  if  it  has  an  india-rubber  pipe  it  would  be 
too  weak,  and  wouldn't  stand  being  shoved  forward." 

"  Some  one  must  carry  it  into  the  pit." 

"  Some  one  ?"  repeated  the  engineer,  with  an  air  of 
amazement.     "Look  yonder;  they  are  drawing  up  the 


336  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

third  man  who  was  foolish  enough  to  Venture  down 
there  ;  he  is  dead,  like  the  other  two  !" 

"  No,  none  of  them  are  dead ;  they  will  soon  recover 
consciousness ;  they  are  stifled  by  the  foul  air." 

"  All  the  same,  I  can  hardly  believe  that  you  wdll  find 
a  man  mad  enough  to  be  the  first  to  carry  a  tube  fifty 
steps  through  all  the  wreckage." 

"  I  have  already  found  the  man.     I  shall  do  it." 

The  engineer  shrugged  his  shoulders,  but  he  made  no 
effort  to  dissuade  him. 

Ivan  went  back  to  the  men,  who  meantime  had  been 
getting  ready  for  work.  He  called  the  oldest  miner  on 
one  side. 

"  Paul,"  he  said,  "  some  one  must  carry  the  india- 
rubber  tube  of  the  ventilator  into  the  mouth  of  the  pit." 

"Good.     Let  us  draw  lots." 

"  We  shall  do  nothing  of  the  kind.  I  shall  go.  You 
are  all  husbands  and  fathers  with  families.  You  have 
wives  and  children  to  provide  for.  I  have  no  one.  How 
long  can  a  man  hold  out  in  that  foul  air  without  draw- 
ing his  breath  ?" 

"  A  hundred  beats  of  his  pulse ;  no  longer." 

"Good.  Fetch  me  the  pipe.  Bind  a  cord  round 
my  body  and  hold  the  other  end.  When  you  see  that  I 
no  longer  carry  the  pipe,  draw  the  cord  slowly  back,  but 
take  care  to  draw  slowly,  in  case  that  I  should  have 
fainted  and  that  a  sudden  pull  might  strangle  me." 

Ivan  loosened  the  woollen  band  from  his  waist, 
steeped  it  in  a  vessel  of  vinegar,  and  wrung  it  out  and 
wrapped  his  face  in  it,  so  that  his  nose  and  mouth  were 
covered.  He  then  bound  the  cord  firmly  round  his 
body,  took  the  foremost  end  of  the  india-rubber  pipe 
upon  his  shoulder,  and  began  to  make  his  way  through 
the  rubbish  and  debris  at  the  pit's  month. 


DIES    IRJE  337 

The  old  miner  called  after  him,  in  a  broken  voice : 
"Count  the  seconds.  Fifty  for  going,  fifty  for  coming 
back." 

Ivan  vanished  behind  the  ruins.  The  miners  took  off 
their  caps  and  folded  their  hands.  The  old  man  held 
the  fingers  of  his  right  hand  on  the  wrist  of  his  left  and 
counted  his  pulse.  He  had  already  counted  over  fifty 
and  the  other  end  of  the  pipe  had  not  moved.  It  had 
passed  sixty  and  was  near  seventy  when  suddenly  it 
was  pulled  forward.  Ivan  had  penetrated  into  the 
deadly  atmosphere.  The  old  miner  wiped  the  perspira- 
tion from  his  brow.  He  counted  eighty,  ninety,  a  hun- 
dred seconds.  They  shall  never  see  him  again.  Then 
the  pipe  remained  steady. 

Now  they  began  to  draw  the  rope.  It  was  slack,  and 
not  tightened  by  any  burden.  Ivan  was,  therefore,  so 
far  safe ;  he  was  still  walking,  for  the  rope  continued 
slack.  Suddenly  it  got  stiffen  Be  careful  now.  The 
cord  again  slackened;  the  old  miner  counted  a  hundred 
and  sixty  seconds.  Suddenly  Ivan  was  seen  coming  out 
of  the  pit's  mouth,  supporting  himself  upon  the  fallen 
stones  of  the  archway ;  but  his  strength  failed,  and  as 
the  men  rushed  to  his  assistance  he  tottered  and  fell 
into  their  arms.     His  face  was  like  that  of  a  dying  man. 

They  rubbed  him  with  vinegar,  and  the  fresh  air  soon 
revived  him.  He  sat  up,  and  told  them  he  was  all 
right,  but — 

"  The  air  down  there  is  something  awful,"  he  said. 
"What  is  happening  to  those  poor  creatures  who  are 
buried  below  ?" 

It  never  occurred  to  him  to  remember  that  those  poor 
creatures  were  the  same  ungrateful  men  who  had  de- 
serted him,  who  had  taken  service  w^ith  the  men 
who  had  sw^orn  to  ruin  him,  who  had  formed  a  con- 


338  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

spiracy  against  him,  who  were  ready  to  murder  him, 
who  had  sent  a  deputation  to  the  enemies  of  their  native 
land.  Here  they  lay,  buried  in  the  depths  of  mother- 
earth,  which  thus  revenged  upon  them  their  treachery. 
Ivan  had  forgotten  their  sin  against  him  and  their  coun- 
try, and  his  only  thought  was  to  save  them  if  there  was 
yet  time. 

Now  that  the  ventilator  had  been  set  in  motion,  the 
work  of  rescue  might  begin  ;  but  all  the  same  it  was 
a  terribly  hard  fight, 

Ivan  divided  his  band  of  men  into  two  divisions. 
Each  man  was  only  to  stay  an  hour  at  the  dangerous 
work  of  clearing  away  the  rubbish.  Every  one  must 
have  his  face  covered  by  a  cloth  steeped  in  vinegar.  So 
soon  as  he  began  to  feel  faint  he  was  to  be  carried  away 
by  his  comrades. 

When  the  day  began  to  break  the  wreck  of  the  fallen 
entrance  had  been  moved  to  one  side,  but  in  the  mouth 
of  the  pit  the  sun  could  not  penetrate.  Tiie  vault  of 
slate-clay  had  fallen  altogether  to  one  side,  so  that 
Ivan,  when  he  had  carried  the  pipe  into  the  pit,  had 
found  there  was  scarcely  room  to  allow  it  to  wind 
through  the  chasms.  In  the  spot  where  he  had  placed 
the  mouth  of  the  pipe  the  vault  was  altogether  de- 
stroyed. 

It  was  an  undertaking  almost  superhuman.  What 
had  been  the  work  of  weeks  had  to  be  done  in  so  many 
days.     And  yet  it  must  be  done. 

In  their  work  of  clearing  away  the  rubbish  Ivan's 
men  had  very  little  assistance  from  the  company's  men 
for  this  reason  :  the  explosion  had  taken  place  at  the 
time  when  the  miners  were  relieved.  When  men  are 
working  in  collieries  it  is  usual  to  relieve  them  four 
times.     It  was  the  time  of  the  midnight  relief  when  the 


DIES    IR^  339 

accident  happened.  One  party  of  the  miners  had  al- 
ready gone  down  the  shaft;  they  were  undoubtedly  suf- 
focated. The  otlier  party  were  on  their  way  out,  and 
were  killed  at  once  by  the  explosion.  There  was 
another  party  who  had  only  reached  the  resting-stage, 
where  neither  the  flames  nor  the  fragments  could  touch 
them.  These  men  were  buried  alive.  It  therefore  re- 
sulted that  of  all  the  company's  miners  only  from  twenty 
to  thirty  were  available. 

The  men  who  worked  the  forge  were  forbidden  by  the 
director  to  give  any  help  in  the  work  of  rescue.  In  all 
the  ovens  the  metal  was  in  a  liquid  state  ;  if  it  was  not 
attended  to  it  would  turn  into  rammers.  The  workmen 
give  the  name  of  ram^  or  rammer^  to  a  solid  mass  of  iron, 
which,  in  consequence  of  faulty  melting,  cannot  be  re- 
moved from  the  oven,  and  it  and  the  oven  have  to  be 
thrown  away  as  useless  lumber.  The  forge-work  was 
urgently  needed.  The  railway  greaves  had  to  be  fin- 
ished by  a  certain  date,  or  a  large  fine  would  have  to 
be  paid.  Ivan  therefore  had  to  set  his  men  almost  un- 
aided to  the  task  of  clearing  the  pit.  The  women 
helped  with  all  their  strength.  Their  husbands,  the 
bread-winners,  were  underneath  the  ruins. 

What  a  terrible  undertaking  !  In  consequence  of  the 
falling  in  of  the  arches  the  roof  had,  at  a  distance  of  sijc 
feet,  to  be  supported  on  plugs,  and  a  sort  of  street  made 
through  the  ruins,  where  at  every  corner  a  new  enemy 
waited  for  the  intrepid  pioneers. 

After  the  explosion  the  pit  had  been  overflowed  by 
water.  The  water-pipes  had  to  be  set  to  work,  and 
where  these  were  not  sufficient  the  men  were  obliged  to 
empty  out  the  black  slime  in  buckets,  standing  for  hours 
in  stinking  mud,  breathing  foul  air,  threatened  with  death 
or  mutilation  from  the  constant  falling  of  stones  and 


34©  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

wreckage.  Undaunted  by  these  obstacles,  the  men  made 
their  way  step  by  step  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 

In  the  afternoon  Raune  arrived.  In  the  middle  of  a 
convivial  festival  he  had  heard  the  news.  He  was  raging. 
He  came  down  the  shaft  and  cursed  all  the  dead  men. 

"  The  scoundrels  !  They  have  cost  the  company  a 
million  of  money!  What  does  it  matter  if  they  are  all 
killed  ?  Serves  them  right !  Why  should  any  of  them  be 
saved  ?  Stuff  and  nonsense  !  Let  them  suffocate,  the 
drunken  dogs  !" 

The  workers  made  him  no  answer.  First,  because 
they  could  not  take  up  their  time  talking,  and,  secondly, 
because  every  man's  mouth  was  covered.  The  clearing 
of  a  mine  is  very  silent  work. 

But  in  the  midst  of  his  curses  Raune  encountered  one 
workman,  who  placed  himself  in  front  of  him  and  con- 
fronted him  with  a  steady  look.  This  man  was  covered 
with  mud  and  coal  like  the  other  laborers,  his  face  was 
tied  up  with  a  cloth,  and  only  the  eyes  were  visible  ; 
they,  too,  were  blackened  with  coal-dust,  but  Raune'  knew 
by  their  expression  that  it  was  Ivan.  No  one  who  had 
ever  looked  into  his  eyes  could  forget  him. 

Raune  turned  away  without  another  word,  and,  in  com- 
pany with  his  engineer,  left  the  pit.  He  interfered  no 
further  with  Ivan's  work. 

Four  days  and  four  nights  the  men  never  ceased  work- 
ing. They  triumphed  over  every  obstacle  and  cut  a 
pathway  through  every  difficulty.  During  those  four 
days  Ivan  never  for  one  hour  left  the  mine.  He  ate  his 
meals  sitting  on  a  stone,  and  snatched  an  hour's  sleep 
in  some  corner. 

On  the  fourth  day  the  workmen  came  upon  one  of  the 
missing  men.  A  man — no,  but  a  mass,  flattened  against 
the  wall,  of  flesh  and  bones,  which  had  once  been  a  man. 


DIES    IR^  341 

Some  feet  farther  on  there  lay  another  body  on  the 
ground,  but  the  head  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  They 
tried  to  get  him  on  one  of  the  wheelbarrows  which  were 
for  drawing  coal,  but  he  was  all  in  fragments;  splinters 
and  shreds  of  that  human  body  were  sticking  to  every- 
thing. 

Then  they  came  upon  the  charred,  blackened  corpses 
of  the  men  who  had  been  burned.  They  were  not  rec- 
ognizable. 

Farther  on  there  was  a  group  of  fifteen  men  crushed 
by  a  huge  weight  of  slate  stratum.  This  could  not  be 
moved,  so  they  were  left.  It  was  more  necessary  to  look 
after  the  living  than  the  dead.  Everywhere  they  found 
corpses ;  still  the  number  of  the  missing  was  not  com- 
plete. 

The  miners  employed  by  the  company  told  Ivan  that 
if  any  of  the  men  were  still  living  they  would  be  found 
at  the  resting-stage,  where  they  left  their  coats  before 
they  began  to  work  and  fetched  them  again  as  they  went 
up.  In  the  passages,  however,  there  had  been  such  a 
total  upset  that  the  oldest  hand  could  not  find  his  way. 
In  many  places  the  explosion  had  torn  down  the  partition 
wall,  in  other  places  the  entrance  was  stopped  up  with 
rubbish,  or  the  roof  taken  off  some  of  the  passages  which 
led  into  the  inner  vaults.  It  was  all  in  such  utter  con- 
fusion that  no  one  could  find  out  where  the  large  vault 
lay. 

At  last  it  struck  Ivan  that  underneath  a  mass  of  coal 
and  slack  he  heard  a  faint,  whimpering  sound.  He  said 
to  the  men,  "  Dig  this  spot." 

At  once  they  set  to  work  to  clear  away  the  rubbish, 
and  as  they  cleared  the  company's  men  began  to  recog- 
nize different  landmarks,  which  convinced  them  they 
were  at  the  right  place. 


342  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"Yes,  here  is  the  door  which  leads  to  the  resting- 
stage."  The  pressure  of  the  air  had  shut  the  door  close, 
the  side  walls  had  fallen  in,  and  so  these,  who  had  been 
safe  from  the  conflagration,  had  been  buried  alive. 

The  whimpering  cry  for  help,  like  that  of  an  infant's 
wail,  was  heard  now  more  distinctly.  The  door,  too,  was 
plainly  visible,  and  as  it  was  swung  off  its  hinges  Ivan 
took  a  light  and  peered  into  the  dark  cavern  below. 

No  cry  of  joy  reached  him  ;  the  rescued  men  had  not 
the  strength  to  make  a  sound.  They  were  about  a  hun- 
dred in  all.  They  lay  there  still,  speechless.  Life  had 
almost  ebbed  away,  but  not  altogether.  They  had  suf- 
fered the  tortures  of  hunger  and  thirst,  they  had  been 
suffocated  by  the  foul  air,  broken-hearted,  despairing. 
And  now  these  human  skeletons,  when  they  saw  the 
light,  could  hardly  raise  a  finger  to  show  they  were  alive. 
A  heart-rending  whimper,  in  which  there  was  no  human 
tone,  rose  from  the  hundred  parched  throats.  When  the 
explosion  came  they  had  been  thrown  upon  their  faces. 
Their  lamps  had  gone  out,  and  it  would  have  been  mad- 
ness to  relight  them.  They  had  remained  in  total  dark- 
ness. After  a  little  the  danger  of  their  situation  increased. 
Soon  they  began  to  feel  that  the  water  was  gradually — 
slowly  at  first — filling  the  space  which  served  them  as  a 
refuge  and  a  grave,  and  this  space  or  vault  was,  they 
knew,  a  fathom  deeper  than  the  pit.  They  tried — for  at 
first  they  were  not  so  weak — to  get  hold  of  some  boards 
and  plugs  that  lay  about,  and  out  of  these  they  made  a 
sort  of  stage  or  platform,  upon  which  they  all  clambered, 
and  there  waited  for  death — the  death  that  might  come 
either  through  hunger,  foul  air,  or  drowning.  When  their 
rescuers  opened  the  door  the  water  had  reached  the 
threshold  and  touched  the  bottom  of  the  wooden  stage. 

Ivan  directed  that  the  poor  creatures  should  be  carried 


DIES    IR^  343 

carefully  and  silently  out  of  their  living  grave.  They  did 
not  press  forward,  for  they  could  not  stand.  Each  man 
lay  where  he  was,  and  waited  until  his  turn  came.  The 
foretaste  of  death  made  every  one  tranquil.  Some  of 
them  could  not  at  first  open  their  eyes,  but  all  were  alive, 
and  Ivan  could  not  help  thinking  how  wonderful  is  the 
strength  of  human  nature. 

He  had  saved  them  all,  but  the  work  was  not  yet  fin- 
ished. How  if,  beyond  the  breach  of  which  the  engineer 
had  spoken,  there  were  more  men  waiting  for  deliverance.'* 
One  thing  they  must  ascertain  positively — if  the  explosion 
had  finished  the  work  begun  by  the  engineer's  men,  and 
had  carried  away  the  wall  which  had  divided  one  pit 
from  the  other.  If  this  were  so,  it  w^ould  considerably 
lighten  the  work  of  those  who  had  come  to  seek  for 
the  victims.  At  the  opening  of  the  breach-tunnel  lay  a 
man's  body;  he  was  such  a  charred,  burned  mass  that 
he  was  unrecognizable.  The  dead  man  held  in  his  hand 
his  safety-lamp.     //  was  open. 

So  this  was  the  accursed  one  who  had  done  the  hellish 
deed,  and  it  was  human  folly  that  had  caused  this  de- 
moniacal explosion. 

The  corpse  was  not  recognizable,  the  clothing  was 
burned  to  ashes.  In  his  girdle,  however,  they  found  a 
small  steel  casket,  and  in  this  casket  a  gold  watch  ;  upon 
the  enamelled  back  w^as  the  portrait  of  a  lovely  woman. 

When  the  watch  was  brought  to  Ivan  he  recognized 
the  portrait.  It  was  Eveline.  With  the  watch  there 
was  also  a  bank-note  for  a  hundred  gulden.  It  was  half 
burned.     Upon  the  back  was  written  : 

"  A  year  ago  to-day  I  received  this  money ;  to-day  I 
pay  it  back."    What  a  fearful  repayment ! 

Ivan  was  now  able  to  grasp  the  connection  between 


344  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

the  words  and  the  acts  of  this  terrible  man,  whose  recol- 
lection of  his  own  act  of  eating  human  flesh  had  prompt- 
ed him  to  an  unexampled  and  most  horrid  massacre. 
His  threats  after  Evila's  elopement,  his  entering  into 
the  company's  service,  the  last  occasion  upon  which  he 
had  drunk  brandy,  and  the  breath  he  had  blown  into 
Ivan's  face.  All  was  now  explained.  This  was  part  of 
the  drama.  This  man  had  a  character  such  as  Antichrist 
might  be  possessed  of.  His  soul  and  body  were  full  of 
concealed  demons,  who  prompted  him  to  take  revenge 
of  those  who  had  offended  him,  ridiculed  him,  stolen 
from  him,  scorned  him,  treated  him  as  a  fool,  insulted 
him  with  money,  tempted  him  with  luxuries,  and  taken 
advantage  of  his  simplicity  to  pull  him  by  the  nose. 

All  of  them  should  fall.  He  would  pull  the  founda- 
tion-stone from  under  their  feet,  even  if  he  dug  his  own 
grave  in  so  doing.  They  should  fall  from  their  high 
estate  —  the  banker,  the  pastor,  the  capitalist,  the  min- 
ister, and  the  actress. 

In  hell  the  demons  could  teach  Peter  nothing. 

Ivan  stood  before  the  unsightly  corpse  deep  in  thought. 
In  his  heart  there  raged  a  wild  conflict  of  passions.  He 
also  had  been  robbed,  oppressed  by  the  wealth  of  his 
enemies,  his  heart  wounded  by  a  hundred  poisoned  ar- 
rows, and  this  by  the  same  men  upon  whom  the  revenge- 
ful hate  of  Peter  Saffran  had  fallen.  Ivan  had  come  to 
their  help.  He  had  saved  the  lives  and  the  property  of 
his  foes — at  least,  what  they  called  their  property;  the 
monstrous  treasure  which  lies  in  the  very  bowels  of  the 
earth  does  not,  in  truth,  belong  altogether  to  any  man, 
but  to  all  men ;  it  is  the  treasure-trove  of  the  state, 
destined  to  serve  and  minister  to  all  ages. 

And  yet  a  great  dread,  an  unconquerable  fear,  pos- 
sessed Ivan.    He  dared  not  mention  his  fear  to  any  one. 


DIES   IR^  345 

for  if  he  were  to  share  his  suspicion  with  any  one  of  the 
workmen,  who  up  to  this  had  followed  him  obediently 
through  every  peril,  they  would,  without  another  word, 
have  turned  their  backs  and  fled  for  their  lives. 

The  wire  cylinder  of  Saffran's  safety-lamp  was  filled 
to  the  very  top  with  a  red  flame.  This  was  a  warning 
that  the  atmosphere  was  still  charged  with  one-third  of 
hydrogen  gas,  and  that  only  two-thirds  were  of  fresh  air. 

But  there  is  an  even  greater  danger  to  be  feared  than 
the  pit-gas.  Its  fearful  spirit  had  been  laid;  the  victims 
lay  silent  upon  the  wheelbarrows.  Yet  another  and  a 
worse  spirit  lurks  in  ambush — a  foe  who  goes  about  with 
closed  eyes,  whose  presence  is  awful  in  its  consequences  : 
it  is  the  carbon  from  the  coals. 

When  the  men  had  made  the  breach  through  the  tun- 
nel, they  found,  just  as  the  engineer  had  said,  that  the 
explosion  had  burst  through  the  partition  wall,  and  that 
the  debris  had  only  to  be  removed,  and  the  passage  be- 
tween the  east  and  the  north  pits  would  be  established. 
Not  one  of  the  workmen  could  remain  long  at  this  work. 
After  some  moments  each  one  returned  coughing,  and 
complaining  that  in  that  place  his  safety-lamp  would 
not  burn. 

In  the  pits  the  flame  of  the  lamp  filled  the  whole  cyl- 
inder ;  this  was  not  reassuring.  But  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  ruins  it  would  hardly  burn  ;  this  was  a  far  more 
serious  sign. 

The  last  miner  who  returned  said  that  as  he  removed 
a  large  lump  of  coal  such  a  terrible  stench  had  pene- 
trated through  his  mouth-protector  that  he  had  almost 
fainted.  The  smell  was  like  that  of  putrid  vegetable 
matter. 

The  old  hands  knew  what  this  putrid  stench  signified. 
Paul  suggested  to  Ivan  that  he  should  go  and  examine 


34^  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

whence  it  came.  Let  him  cover  his  mouth  very  care- 
fully, and  hasten  back  as  soon  as  possible. 

Ivan  took  his  iron  rod  and  his  lamp,  and  went. 
Seizing  hold  of  the  rod  with  both  hands,  he  struck  it 
with  all  his  strength  into  a  mass  of  coal,  upon  which  the 
lump  rolled  with  a  great  noise  into  the  adjoining  space. 
He  then  fastened  his  lamp  to  the  hook  of  his  rod  and 
pushed  it  into  the  hollow\  The  lamp  w-ent  out  at  once, 
and  as  he  looked  from  the  darkness  into  the  hollow,  to 
his  horror  he  saw  in  the  next  vault  a  red  glow  which 
lighted  up  the  space.  He  knew  at  once  there  was  no 
time  to  lose.  He  never  paused  to  withdraw  his  rod, 
but  rushed  back  to  the  men. 

"  The  east  pit  is  burning !"  he  cried. 

No  one  answ-ered,  but  the  men  seized  hold  of  Ivan, 
and  bore  him  with  them  out  of  the  pit  into  the  open  air. 
Behind  them  followed  the  horrible  stench — not  merely 
that  of  foul  air  such  as  accompanies  "bad  weather," 
often  with  fatal  effect;  this  was  the  more  insidious  car- 
bon, that  which  kindles  pit-fires,  baffles  the  ingenuity  of 
man,  respects  neither  the  brave  nor  the  scientific,  and 
which,  when  once  it  has  begun,  can  never  be  turned 
back.  There  is  nothuig  to  do  but  to  run  for  the  bare 
hfe. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  pit  w^as  empty. 

As  they  issued  into  the  light  of  day  they  were  sur- 
rounded by  countless  women  and  children,  weeping  and 
screaming  in  their  joy  at  being  reunited  to  their  lost 
ones. 

The  engineer  was  also  there.  Ivan  went  straight  to 
him.     Taking  the  cloth  from  his  mouth,  he  said : 

"Do  you  know,  sir,  what  is  going  on  down  there  in 
your  mine  ?  Complete,  utter  ruin !  The  east  pit  is 
burning;  it  must  have  been  alight  some  days,  for  the 


DIES    IRM 


347 


whole  pit  is  red-hot.  I  shall  never  forget  the  sight. 
Now  let  me  tell  you  what  this  means.  It  is  not  the 
hand  of  human  wickedness,  neither  is  it  the  avenging 
hand  of  God ;  it  is  altogether  caused  by  the  negligence 
of  the  overseer.  You,  who  are  a  great  scientist,  know 
as  well  as  I  do  that  collieries  take  fire  when  sulphur  gets 
mixed  with  coal-dust  and  is  allowed  to  lie  in  a  heap.  It 
is  always  hot  down  there,  and  when  the  stuff  is  fanned 
by  the  air  it  lights  of  itself.  Your  pit  is  full  of  this  dan- 
gerous burning  mist.  And  now  both  your  pit  and  my 
mine  are  finished.  The  colliery  fiie  can  never  be  extin- 
guished. You  have  heard  of  the  burning  mountain  of 
Dutweeler  ?  A  hundred  and  twenty  years  ago  that  coal- 
mine took  fire  ;  it  is  still  burning.  Here  we  shall  expe- 
rience another  such  tragedy.     Good-morning." 

The  engineer  only  shrugged  his  shoulders ;  it  w^as 
nothing  to  him. 

Ivan  shook  the  dust  of  the  God-forsaken  colony  off 
his  feet.  He  and  his  men  returned  to  his  own  side  of 
the  mountain. 

Meantime  what  had  happened  to  his  own  mine?  He 
had  been  absent  four  days  and  four  nights,  and  had 
never  given  it  a  thought. 


CHAPTER    XXVII 
FROM    THE    SUBLIME    TO    THE    RIDICULOUS 

Any  one  \vho  wishes  to  understand  the  meaning  of 
the  proverb,  "  There  is  only  one  step  from  the  sublime 
to  the  ridiculous,"  should  gamble  on  the  stock  -  ex- 
change;  there  he  will  learn  the  full  meaning  of  the 
words. 

To-day  you  are  a  deity,  to-morrow  the  meanest  of 
street  curs.  To-day  sixty  agents  shriek  out  the  name  of 
your  speculation  ;  you  are  a  sort  of  king,  and  all  the 
other  kings  on  'change  study  your  countenance  to  see 
how  the  wind  shifts.  To-day,  so  soon  as  one  o'clock 
strikes  by  the  town  clock,  a  swarm  of  buyers  come  round 
you.  Your  note-book  is  held  up  to  the  view  of  all  the 
agents.  It  is  handed  from  one  to  another;  it  is  placed 
upon  the  back  of  an  agent,  and  the  competitors  write 
the  number  of  shares  they  w^ant.  To-day  all  hands 
point  to  the  percentage,  which  is  the  proof  of  your  high 
estate.  To-day  the  crowd  who  are  speculating  on  your 
credit  fill  all  the  passages  ;  they  scream  out,  "  I  sell !" 
"I  buy!"  Even  outside  the  stock-exchange  sweet  creat- 
ures of  the  opposite  sex,  who  like  dabbling  in  stock 
quite  as  much  as  do  the  male  creation,  make  their 
books.  Women  are  prohibited  from  showing  their  faces 
on  'change  ;  but  they  gamble  all  the  same.  Hundreds 
of  ladies  wait  upon  the  stock-broker,  with  a  copy  of  the 
exchange  list  in  their  hands ;  they  have  marked  your 


FROM    THE    SUBLIME    TO    THE    RIDICULOUS 


349 


shares.  Still  greater  ladies  sit  outside  the  exchange  in 
their  grand  carriages.  In  their  eagerness  they  stretch 
their  heads  out  of  their  carriage  windows  to  know  from 
the  first-comer  at  what  figure  the  shares — your  shares — 
stand. 

This  is  all  to-day.  To-morrow  you  are  not  to  be 
found ;  your  name  is  scratched  out  of  the  exchange 
list.  Every  one  knows  that  your  affair  has  "burst." 
You  are  nowhere.  You  are  nobody.  Your  place  is 
empty. 

The  firm  of  Kaulmann  stood  at  the  summit  of  its  tri- 
umph. Felix  and  his  bosom  friend,  the  Abbe  Samuel, 
were  enjoying  their  afternoon  siesta.  The  room  w^as 
full  of  a  cloud  of  smoke,  and  under  its  soothing  influ- 
ence the  friends  were  building  castles  in  the  air. 

"To-morrow,"  said  Felix,  "the  pope's  loan  upon  the 
Hungarian  Church  lands  will  be  floated  at  the  ex- 
change." 

"  To-morrow  I  shall  receive  from  Vienna  my  appoint- 
ment as  titular  Bishop  of  the  Siebenbtirger." 

"  The  silver  kings  are  ready  to  plank  down  their  mill- 
ions on  the  loan." 

"  The  pope  gives  it  his  blessing,"  murmured  the  abbe. 
"The  cardinal's  hat  is  ready  for  my  head." 

"The  legitimist  financiers  have  shown  a  decided  ob- 
jection to  my  wife  appearing  on  the  stage.  This  may 
injure  the  loan;  therefore  I  intend  to-morrow  to  explain 
to  her  that  she  is  not  legally  my  wife." 

"  Is  it  true  that  Prince  Waldemar  has  arrived  in 
Paris  ?" 

"Yes,  he  has  come  after  Eveline." 

"  But  his  presence  here  will  be  injurious  to  our  specu- 
lation.    He  is  our  declared  enemy." 


350  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  He  cannot  injure  us  now.  Since  he  met  such  a 
total  defeat  in  the  matter  of  the  Bondavara  mine  and 
the  railway  his  teeth  have  been  drawn.  He  and  his 
bears  have  kept  very  quiet." 

"  Then  it  is  Eveline  who  has  brought  him  here  ?" 

"  He  is  mad  about  her ;  he  follows  her  everywhere 
like  a  dog,  and  is  only  anxious  to  pick  up  any  crumb 
she  will  give  him." 

"But  she  cannot  endure  him." 

"That  is  the  worse  for  her.  It  was  greatly  Prince 
Theobald's  doing.     That  old  fellow  is  mad." 

"  Is  it  not  the  case  that  the  Countess  Angela's  hus- 
band wants  to  put  the  prince's  affairs  into  the  hands  of 
trustees  ?" 

"  Before  we  left  Vienna  there  was  some  talk  of  it." 

"  Will  this  affect  in  any  way  the  Bondavara  shares  ?" 

"  In  no  way.  The  only  unmortgaged  portion  of  his 
capital  is  absolutely  made  over  to  the  company.  I  can 
assure  you,  the  Bondavara  speculation  is  built  upon  a 
rock  of  gold." 

As  he  spoke  three  telegraphic  despatches  were 
brought  in  by  the  servant.  One  of  these  was  addressed 
to  the  abbe,  under  cover  to  the  firm  of  Kaulmann. 

"  Lupus  in  fabula,"  said  Kaulmann,  as  he  handed  the 
first  telegram  to  the  abbe.     The  abbe'  read : 

"  The  Prince  Theobald  has  been  declared  incapable 
of  managing  his  own  affairs." 

"  Poor  Eveline,  she  will  have  leisure  to  repent !"  re- 
marked Felix,  with  a  cynical  smile. 

As  he  was  speaking  the  abbe  opened  the  telegram 
addressed  to  him.     He  handed  it  to  Felix,  saying: 

"  And  I,  too,  shall  have  time  to  repent." 


FROM    THE    SUBLIME    TO    THE   RIDICULOUS  35 1 

The  telegram  ran  : 

"  The  minister  has  resigned  ;  the  emperor  has  ac- 
cepted his  resignation ;  the  whole  system  is  to  be 
changed." 

"  Good-bye  to  the  bishop's  milre,  to  the  cardinal's 
hat ;  good-bye  to  the  velvet  arm-chair  in  the  House  of 
Peers." 

They  read  the  third  telegram  together.  It  contained 
these  words  : 

"  Explosion  in  the  Bondavara  colliery.  The  whole 
mine  is  on  lire." 

"  This  is  indeed  a  blow,"  said  Felix,  as  he  let  the  tele- 
gram fall  from  his  hand.  The  three  telegrams  had  come 
like  three  flashes  of  lightning.     The  last  was  the  worst. 

When  the  news  reached  Prince  Waldemar  he  would 
let  the  bears  loose  with  a  vengeance.  Something  must 
be  done  to  avert  the  imminent  danger — but  what  ? 

If  there  was  only  time  allowed  to  float  the  papal  loan 
such  small  things  as  the  Bondavara  shares  and  the  burn- 
ing of  mines  would  be  of  little  consequence.  But  could 
the  enemy  be  reduced  to  silence  ? 

It  was  settled  that  the  abbe  should  without  delay  re- 
pair to  Eveline,  and  that  Kaulmann  should  speak  to 
Prince  Waldemar. 

The  beaming  faces  of  the  two  men  now  wore  a  sombre 
air.  They  had  only  one  card  to  play — the  smile  of  a 
woman  was  their  only  salvation. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

TWO    CHILDREN 

Eveline  had  arrived  in  Paris  at  a  very  important 
moment.  Two  great  changes  had  been  made  in  the 
world  of  fashion  :  the  Empress  Eugenie  had  decreed 
that  the  crinoHne  should  be  laid  aside,  and  Cardinal 
Chigi,  the  papal  nuncio,  had  pronounced  that  dresses 
closed  to  the  throat  should  be  worn  at  receptions.  Piety 
had  become  the  rage.  It  was  considered  good  taste  to 
go  to  church  and  to  wait  for  the  sermon. 

Piety  being,  therefore,  the  fashion,  no  better  moment 
could  have  been  chosen  by  Kaulmann  for  floating  the 
papal  loan.  He  was  well  pleased  to  find  that  Eveline 
was  as  eager  in  the  pursuit  of  piety  as  any  of  her  fair 
sisters,  the  truth  being  that  it  harmonized  with  the  poor 
child's  frame  of  mind.  A  few  days  after  her  arrival  in 
Paris  her  cripple  brother  had  died.  A  celebrated  sur- 
geon had  performed  an  operation  which  had  put  him 
out  of  pain  forever.  Eveline  grieved  over  her  loss;  now 
she  felt  alone  in  the  w^orld,  she  had  no  one  to  love,  no 
one  to  live  for.  She  kept  the  boy's  useless  crutches  in 
her  room,  one  on  each  side  of  her  dressing-table,  and 
twice  a  week  she  went  to  the  church-yard  and  put  fresh 
flowers  on  the  little  grave.  The  penitential  fashion  just 
suited  her.  She  preferred  to  sing  Mozart  and  Handel 
in  the  church  than  Verdi  at  the  opera. 

One  day  she  conceived  the  idea  that  she  would  have 


TWO    CHILDREN 


353 


a  sacred  concert  in  her  own  drawing-room ;  the  price  of 
the  ticlvets  should  be  high,  and  the  proceeds  would  be 
for  some  good  purpose — God  knows  what !  perhaps  to 
buy  arms  for  the  papal  zouaves.  She  was  busy  making 
out  her  programme  when  the  door  opened,*  and  Arpad 
Belenyi,  unannounced,  rushed  in  in  his  old  unceremoni- 
ous way. 

Eveline  was  delighted  to  see  her  former  friend.  She 
threw  down  her  pen,  ran  to  meet  him,  holding  out  both 
her  hands. 

"Oh,  you  delightful  person,  what  has  brought  you 
here  ?" 

"  My  profession.  I  am  looking  for  some  place  where 
I  may  strike  the  cymbals  and  give  a  concert." 

"What  a  coincidence;  you  have  come  at  the  right 
moment.     But  how  did  you  find  me  out?" 

"  Not  much  difficulty  in  that.  If  I  didn't  see  your 
name  in  the  list  at  the  Opera,  I  couldn't  avoid  seeing  it 
outside  St.  Eustache." 

"Then  you  have  heard  me  sing?" 

"  In  both  places — the  theatre  and  the  church.  I  must 
tell  you  I  think  the  good  fathers  lay  it  on  pretty  strong. 
For  twelve  francs  I  heard  you  at  the  Opera,  and  had  the 
play  into  the  bargain  ;  but  I  didn't  get  out  of  the  church 
so  cheap.  A  beautiful  lady  took  twenty  francs  from 
me." 

"  You  silly  man !  Well,  I  will  pay  it  back  to  you. 
What  are  your  terms  ?" 

"  May  I  ask  your  reason  for  the  question  ?" 

"  How  stupid  you  are  !  I  am  not  going  to  engage  you 
for  a  restaurant.  What  are  your  terms  for  playing  the 
piano  at  an  evening  concert  ?" 

"  To  you,  merely  thanks ;  to  the  public,  five  hundred 
francs." 
23 


354  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  But  if  it  is  for  a  charitable  purpose  ?" 

"Then  either  not  at  all  or  for  money." 

"  No,  no.  You  are  a  cynical  creature  !  Don't  you 
feel  sympathy  for  any  one  ?  Would  you  do  nothing  for 
the  poor?" 

"I  know  a  poor  woman  to  whom  I  owe  everything; 
that  is  my  mother.  Every  farthing  which  I  give  to  an- 
other is  taken  from  her.  When  the  world  has  given 
back  to  her  all  that  she  has  lost,  then  I  shall  give  to  the 
world  all  that  I  possess ;  but  until  then  everything  be- 
longs to  my  mother." 

"Very  good;  you  shall  pay  your  mother.  You  shall 
have  the  five  hundred  francs ;  but  for  this  you  must 
play  something  super-excellent — Liszt's  jMass  or  one  of 
Handel's  oratorios." 

"  What  is  the  concert  got  up  for  ?  Is  it  to  help  a  re- 
ligious object  ?  or  is  it  for  the  papal  zouaves  ?" 

"  Yes.     I  am  arranging  it." 

"Then  I  can  do  nothing." 

"Why  so?" 

"Why,  because  I  shall  not  play  for  Garibaldi's  ene- 
mies !" 

"  Oh,  what  a  goose  you  are,  to  be  sure !  Who  asks 
you  to  play  for  Garibaldi's  enemies  ?  You  play  for  my 
friends." 

But  the  young  man  kept  repeating  no,  no,  he  wouldn't, 
and  in  his  excitement  he  got  up  from  his  seat,  and,  throw- 
ing back  his  waistcoat,  showed  her  that  he  wore  a  red 
shirt. 

Eveline  laughed  unrestrainedly.  "A  red  shirt!  So 
that  means  that  you  have  enlisted  as  a  Garibaldian  ?" 

"  I  should  have  done  so  long  ago  only  for  my  mother." 

"  And  what  would  you  do  if  your  hand  was  shot 
off?" 


TWO    CHILDREN 


355 


"  Then  I  should  become  a  pensioner  to  some  fine 
lady,  who  would,  I  know,  support  me." 

Eveline  burst  into  tears.  His  words  had  touched  a 
chord  in  her  tender  heart.  Arpad,  however,  could  not 
imagine  what  he  had  said  to  grieve  her;  he  tried  to  con- 
sole her,  and  asked  how  he  had  offended  her.  Still  sob- 
bing, she  said: 

'*  My  poor  little  brother  is  dead.  There  by  my  table 
I  keep  his  crutches." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  you  ;  with  all  my  heart  I  sympathize 
in  your  grief.  He  and  I  were  good  friends;  we  had 
plenty  of  fun  together." 

"Yes;  you  liked  hhn.  The  world  is  quite  dead  to 
me;  everything  is  changed.  I  listen  for  the  sound 
of  his  crutches  scratching  along  the  floor  up  the  stairs. 
Ah,  my  little  brother !  I  have  no  one  now.  I  want 
some  one  to  take  care  of.  I  should  like  to  nurse  some 
one — an  artist  who  had  lost  his  eyesight;  a  musician 
whose  right  hand  had  been  shot  off ;  or  a  political  hero, 
who,  being  pursued,  concealed  himself  in  my  room,  and 
to  whom  I  should  be  benefactress,  protectress,  bread- 
winner, everything." 

"Why  don't  you  go  to  Garibaldi  ?" 

She  was  laughing  now ;  her  moods  were  as  variable 
as  an  April  day. 

"  You  have  heard  me  sing  in  public.  What  do  you 
say  of  me  ?" 

"  I  say  you  would  be  a  great  artist  if  you  could  sing 
for  the  devils  as  well  as  you  do  for  the  angels." 

"I  don't  understand.  What  do  you  mean  by  the  devils  ?" 

"You  surely  have  heard  from  the  pulpit  that  the 
theatre  is  the  devil's  synagogue?" 

"You  rude  man!  Don't  you  know  that  I  belong  to 
the  theatre .?" 


2r6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  I  beg  pardon  a  thousand  times.  I  believed  that  in 
the  daytime  you  were  an  abbess  and  at  night  you  were 
an  actress  ;  that  would  be  a  fair  bargain." 

"You  silly  boy!  Why  do  you  think  I  am  an  ab- 
bess ?'' 

"  Because  you  are  dressed  as  such." 

"This  is  only  a  penitential  dress.  You  godless 
creature,  you  are  making  fun  of  religion  !" 

"No,  madame.  I  agree  that  it  is  a  great  mortifica- 
tion to  wear  gray  silk,  a  great  penance  to  play  the  co- 
quette with  downcast  eyes,  a  real  fast  to  eat  crawfish  at 
twenty  francs  the  dish.  I  am  also  told  that  the  reason 
the  fashionable  ladies  of  Paris  have  taken  to  wearing 
high  dresses  is  that  they  discipline  the  flesh  so  severely 
that  their  shoulders  and  necks  are  one  mass  of  scars, 
and  therefore  the  effects  of  their  flagellations  must  be 
concealed." 

"That  is  not  true.      We   don't  do   anything  of  the 

kind."  .         .    . 

"The  world  says  so.     I  don't  want  to  mqmre;  it  is 

your  secret." 

"It  is  not  true,"  Eveline  repeated.  "We  do  not 
flagellate  ourselves  ;  look  !"  And  kneeling  down  before 
Arpad  she  raised  the  lace  collar  which  was  round  her 
neck  and  made  him  look  at  her  fair  skin. 

They  were  a  pair  of  children. 

Arpad  took  his  hat  and  his  leave.  He  left  a  card 
with  his  address,  but  he  would  have  no  share  in  her 
concert. 

Eveline,  however,  went  on  writing  her  programme. 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

IMMACULATE 

Eveline  was  still  writing  her  programme  when  the 
Abbe  Samuel  was  announced.  In  Paris  it  is  not 
thought  out  of  the  way  for  an  abbe'  to  visit  an  actress, 
and,  for  the  rest,  the  abbe  was  an  old  friend,  well  known 
to  both  husband  and  wife.  He  was  naturally  very  much 
interested  in  the  concert,  and  read  the  programme  most 
attentively. 

"  It  would  have  been  all  so  nice,"  said  Eveline,  in  a 
vexed  tone,  "  only  for  that  stupid  Arpad.  See,  father, 
just  there,  between  my  song  and  the  violoncello  solo,  he 
would  have  come  in  so  well." 

"  Is  Arpad  in  town  ?" 

"Yes,  he  has  only  just  gone.  I  begged  of  him  to 
help  my  concert ;  and  my  song  from  the  Stabat  Mater 
would  have  gone  so  much  better  to  the  harmonium,  and 
he  accompanies  beautifully ;  but  he  has  grown  quite 
silly;  he  has  become  a  heretic." 

The  priest  shook  his  sides  with  laughter,  and  then  a 
sudden  idea  struck  him.  It  was  plain  Eveline  liked 
Arpad,  which  was  only  natural,  for  they  were  about  the 
same  age.  He  was  twenty,  she  nineteen — a  pair  of  chil- 
dren, and  children  like  to  amuse  themselves.  They 
don't  care  for  serious  things ;  that  comes  later.  What 
if  he  made  use  of  Arpad  to  introduce  Waldemar. 

"  I  should  like  to  take  a  bet  with  you  that  Arpad  Be- 


358  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

lenyi  will  play  the  piano  at  your  concert,  and  that, 
moreover,  he  will  accompany  your  Stabat  Mater  on 
the  harmonium.  If  he  does  so,  what  will  you  give 
me?" 

"Oh,  he  won't  do  it;  you  maybe  sure  of  that!  I 
know  him  well ;  he  is  very  obstinate  once  he  takes  any- 
thing into  his  cockatoo's  head,  and  if  /  have  not  been 
able  to  persuade  him — " 

Eveline  had  immense  faith  in  the  magic  power  of  her 
black  eyes. 

"Well,  you  shall  see.  What  will  you  give  me  if  I 
succeed  ?"  repeated  the  abbe. 

Eveline  replied  to  this  question  by  another : 

"  How  do  you  mean  to  get  round  him  ?"  She  said 
nothing  of  what  she  would  give  in  case  he  succeeded. 

"  Oh,  there  are  many  ways ;  for  instance,  I  might  say 
to  him  that  if  he  played  in  your  drawing-room  it  is  very 
likely  he  may  be  engaged  by  the  empress,  and  that  then 
his  fortune  was  made — at  least,  for  this  season.  An 
artist  would  at  once  see  what  a  chance  this  would  be. 
Then  I  would  offer  him  money." 

"I  have  done  that  already— five  hundred  francs." 

*'Well,  although  a  young  man  may  turn  up  his  nose 
at  five  hundred  francs,  an  old  woman  will  appreciate  a 
hundred  Napoleons  at  their  true  value.  Arpad  must 
obey  his  mother's  wishes,  and  what  she  promises  for 
him  he  must  do.     I  know  the  circumstances." 

"  You  are  a  very  sensibly  man.  I  should  have  begun 
with  the  mother,  but  it  never  occurred  to  me.  Well, 
manage  it  all  for  me.  If  you  only  accomplish  it  I  shall 
do  whatever  you  ask  me." 

She  was  in  such  good-humor  that  the  abbe  saw  he 
could  ask  her  anything ;  still,  it  was  with  a  slight 
hesitation  that  he  said : 


IMMACULATE  359 

"  I  want  you  to  give  me  an  invitation  for  your  charity 
concert  for  a  friend  of  mine." 

"  You  shall  have  ten,"  cried  Eveline,  joyfully. 

"I  only  require  one,  but  this  invitation  must  be 
written  with  your  own  hand," 

"Give  me  the  name  of  your  friend  and  I  will  write 
the  card  this  moment." 

As  she  spoke  she  seated  herself  at  her  writing-table, 
took  an  invitation-card  from  her  drawer,  and  made  all 
ready  to  begin. 

"  Now  the  name." 

*' Prince  Waldemar  Sondersheim." 

When  she  heard  the  name  Eveline  threw  down  her 
pen  and  sprang  hastily  to  her  feet. 

"  No,"  she  said,  decidedly,  "  never  !" 

The  abbe  burst  into  a  shrill  laugh.  "Your  excite- 
ment is  very  becoming,"  he  said.  "  You  are  a  fine 
actress." 

"  I  shall  not  invite  Prince  Sondersheim  to  my  con- 
cert," returned  Eveline,  seating  herself  on  the  sofa  with 
a  defiant  air. 

"  Is  the  prince  disagreeable  to  you  ?" 

"  I  loathe  him." 

"Do  you  imagine  that  the  world  contains  nothing 
but  simpletons  like  Arpad  Belenyi  ?" 

Eveline  got  up  from  the  sofa,  went  to  the  writing- 
table,  and  tore  the  programme  she  had  been  writing 
into  a  hundred  pieces. 

"  Arpad  may  stay  at  home,  tied  to  his  mother's 
apron-strings.  I  don't  want  him  nor  any  one.  Ill  give 
up  the  concert ;"  and  she  threw  the  torn  fragments  of 
her  programme  into  the  fireplace. 

The  abbe  rose  from  his  seat  and  took  the  excited  girl 
by  the  hand. 


360  BLACK   DIAMONDS 

"  Compose  yourself,  my  dear  young  lady,"  he  said. 
"  I  have  come  to  you  on  a  most  urgent  matter — a  matter 
which  is  of  serious  consequence  to  you  and  your  hus- 
band, and  I  do  not  deny  that  it  is  of  great  moment  to 
me.  I  may,  in  fact,  call  it  of  vital  importance  to  each 
one  of  us.  If  it  should  turn  out  as  badly  as  it  threatens 
your  husband  shall  have  to  go  to  America,  I  must  return 
to  my  monastery,  and  what  will  become  of  you  I  do  not 
know." 

Eveline  sat  down  again  on  the  sofa.  She  listened  to 
him  attentively. 

"  At  all  events,  you  will  have  to  go  out  of  this,"  went 
on  the  abbe,  ''  and  that  without  loss  of  time.  You  must 
know  that  the  old  Prince  Theobald,  after  you  had  re- 
turned to  him  the  palace  in  the  Maximilian  Strasse, 
which  he  had  made  a  present  to  you,  took  shares  in 
your  name  in  the  Bondavara  Company  to  the  amount  of 
a  million." 

"  I  never  knew  it,"  said  Eveline. 

"That  proves  that  you  never  thought  of  asking  your 
husband  what  the  expense  of  this  splendid  hotel  was,  to 
say  nothing  of  your  magnificent  carriage  and  horses, 
your  numerous  servants,  your  conservatory — " 

"  I  thought  that  my  salary,  added  to  what  Herr  Kaul- 
mann — "  She  stopped  suddenly ;  the  incredulous  smile 
on  the  abbe's  lips  made  her  silent.     He  continued: 

"All  this  splendor  is  at  an  end.  A  telegram  which 
came  a  few  hours  ago  brings  the  news  that,  at  the  suit 
of  his  son-in-law,  Prince  Theobald's  affairs  have  been 
placed  in  the  hands  of  trustees ;  the  trustees  will,  with- 
out any  doubt,  seize  the  shares  taken  for  you." 

"  They  may  do  as  they  like,"  returned  the  girl,  indiffer- 
ently. 

"  Oh,  there  may  be  a  lawsuit !     But  there  is  worse  to 


IMMACULATE  36 1 

come.    Another  telegram  brings  the  news  that  last  week 

there  was  a  fearful  explosion  at  the  Bondavara  colliery." 

At  this  news  Eveline  gave  a  cry;  then  quickly  asked: 

"And  Herr  Behrend,  has  his  mine  also  exploded?" 

The  abbe  looked  somewhat  surprised,  but  continued, 

in  his  earnest  manner: 

"  I  believe  not.  The  company's  shares,  however,  have 
received  a  terrible  blow.  The  more  so,  that  one  of  the 
collieries  is  still  burning,  with  no  chance  of  being  extin- 
guished." 

As  he  spoke  he  looked  fixedly  at  her,  and  his  penetra- 
tion soon  took  in  the  truth:  that  her  joy  at  the  escape 
of  Behrend's  property  outweighed  her  sorrow  for  her 
husband's  loss. 

"You  can  understand,"  continued  the  abbe,  "in  what 
danger  we  are  of  actual  ruin  ;  everything  now  depends 
upon  one  thing.  Of  course,  you  are  aware  that,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  Bondavara  Company,  Kaulmann's  repu- 
tation is  one  of  the  highest  in  the  financial  world.  Mill- 
ions of  money  have  actually  been  put  into  the  affair, 
and  ten  times  as  much  is  floating  in  the  air  of  the 
stock-exchange.  Money  is  not  a  tangible  quantity.  This 
catastrophe — which,  after  all,  may  still  be  averted,  for  it 
is  possible  that  the  fire  may  be  extinguished — will  be  a 
terrible  engine  in  the  hands  of  the  enemies  of  the  com- 
pany, who  want,  above  all  things,  to  upset  Kaulmann. 
The  colliery  explosion  is  a  powder-mine  in  the  hands  of 
the  bears.  To-day  he  is  a  king,  hands  full  of  gold  are 
stretched  out  to  him,  a  hundred  millions  are  eagerly 
offered  to  him ;  to-morrow  these  very  people  will  sur- 
round him,  clamoring  to  get  back  their  money,  which 
they  have  intrusted  to  him.  Whether  the  cry  is  raised 
or  not  depends  altogether  on  one  man,  and  this  man 
is  Prince  Waldemar  Sondersheim.     He  is  here ;  he  ar- 


362  BLACK   DIAMONDS 

rived  to-day.  Probably  he  has  had  news  of  the  explo- 
sion sooner  than  Kaulmann,  whose  director,  Raune,  no 
doubt,  hoped  against  hope  to  get  the  fire  under.  Kaul- 
mann's  fate  lies  in  the  hands  of  Prince  Sondersheim, 
and  so  does  my  own.  I  do  not  conceal  it.  I  was 
the  pivot  of  an  enormous,  world-wide  project.  To- 
morrow Kaulmann's  proposal  for  the  Church  loan  was 
to  be  laid  before  the  financial  world  of  Paris  and  Brus- 
sels ;  it  is  an  important  crisis  that  may  give  to  history 
a  new  page.  If  Prince  Waldemar  makes  use  of  his 
knowledge  of  the  collapse  of  the  Bondavara  Company 
to  raise  a  cry  against  us,  then  the  whole  fabric  upon 
which  so  much  is  built  vanishes  as  a  dream.  If  he  or 
his  bears  call  out  on  the  exchange  that  the  Bondavara 
shares  are  sixty  per  cent,  below  par  we  are  lost.  If  he 
keeps  silent  the  loan  will  float  splendidly,  and  then  the 
Bondavara  misfortune  will  sink  into  a  matter  of  small 
importance,  such  as  constantly  occurs  in  the  money- 
market.  Now  you  can  understand  what  an  effect  a  word 
from  you  may  have,  and  what  you  can  do  if  you  speak 
this  word." 

Eveline  shook  her  head,  and  laid  her  finger  on  her 
lips  ;  she  looked  the  very  genius  of  silence. 

"What!"  cried  the  abbe,  his  anger  getting  the  better 
of  him,  "you  refuse?  You  think  more  of  one  word  that 
can  cost  you  nothing  than  of  the  consequences?  The 
Holy  See  may  be  overthrown,  the  standard  of  infidelity 
may  be  unfurled,  the  saints  torn  from  their  shrines — and 
all  for  a  woman's  caprice." 

Eveline  spread  out  her  arms  as  if  she  were  engaged  in 
a  combat  with  a  giant.  She  called  out,  in  a  resolute 
voice  : 

"  No  ;  I  cannot  speak  to  that  man." 

The  abbe  grew  angry.    He  said  to  himself  if  he  could 


IMMACULATE  363 

not  persuade  this  vexatious  woman,  at  least  he  would 
give  himself  the  pleasure  of  wounding  her  in  a  tender 
point.  He  took  his  hat  in  his  hand,  and,  holding  it  be- 
hind his  back,  said,  in  a  cold,  cutting  voice  : 

"  I  neither  understand  your  dislike  to  the  prince  nor 
your  extreme  delicacy.  Prince  Sondersheim  is  no  way 
inferior  to  the  men  you  have  admitted  to  your  intimacy." 

At  this  insult  Eveline  seized  the  hand  of  the  abbe,  and 
cried,  with  a  sudden  abandonment  of  her  usual  reserve  : 

"Oh,  father,  I  have  never  been  a  wife;  I  am  still  as 
innocent  as  a  child  !" 

The  abbe  looked  at  her  in  unfeigned  astonishment. 
He  saw  by  her  burning  blushes,  her  modest,  downcast 
eyes,  her  childish  sobs,  that  she  was  speaking  the  truth. 
He  sighed  deeply ;  he  could  not  help  it.  It  was  his  last 
stake,  and  he  had  lost.  Good-bye  to  glory,  to  greatness. 
All  had  vanished  into  thin  air  at  Eveline's  words;  they 
had  scattered  his  dreams.  He  recognized  that  all  the  great 
deeds  which  have  made  men  famous  were  as  dust  and 
ashes  in  comparison  with  the  real  nobility  of  soul  pos- 
sessed by  this  peasant  girl,  this  woman  who,  in  obedi- 
ence to  her  husband's  infamous  commands,  and  because 
she  had  sworn  to  obey  him,  had  worn  the  mask  of  a 
Phryne  while  she  preserved  the  purity  of  a  saint.  By 
no  act  of  his  should  she  descend  from  her  pedestal. 

"Eveline,"  he  said,  in  a  voice  of  deep  emotion,  "the 
words  you  have  spoken  banish  me  to  my  cell.  My 
dreams  of  power  and  splendor  lie  in  the  dust — their 
fitting  place.  You  said, 'I  am  still  innocent';  my  child, 
keep  yourself  so.  The  French  law  recognizes  no  mar- 
riage unless  it  has  been  contracted  before  the  civil  author- 
ities. Your  marriage  with  Felix  Kaulmann  is  in  this 
country  null  and  void  ;  you  are  here  Mademoiselle  Eva 
Dirkmal,  nothing  more.     You  can  tell  Kaulmann  that  I 


364  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

have  told  you  this.  I  have  given  him  the  same  informa- 
tion, as  he  wished  to  free  himself  from  this  nominal  tie  to 
you.  And  now,  farewell ;  I  return  to  ray  monastery,  to 
reconcile  myself  with  an  offended  God." 

Eva  Dirkmal  threw  herself  at  the  feet  of  the  priest, 
and  covered  his  hands  with  tears  and  kisses. 

"Put  your  hand  upon  my  head,"  she  sobbed,  "and 
ask  God  to  bless  me." 

"My  daughter,"  said  the  abbe,  "an  invincible  hand 
watches  over  you  and  protects  you.  May  you  ever  be 
thus  safely  guarded." 

With  these  words  the  priest  left  the  room.  He  did 
as  he  said ;  he  sought  no  further  interview  with  Kaul- 
mann,  but  went  straight  to  the  railway,  and  buried  him- 
self in  his  monastery.     The  world  knew  him  no  more. 


CHAPTER    XXX 

MAN    AND    WIFE 

Felix  lost  no  time  in  seeking  an  interview  with 
Prince  Waldemar.  He  preferred  to  look  for  him  in  his 
own  house  than  to  meet  him  accidentally  on  'change. 

Waldemar  did  not  keep  him  long  waiting,  neither  did 
he  treat  him  to  any  display  of  his  superior  rank.  He 
received  him  in  his  study. 

"  Ah,  your  highness  is  occupied  with  business,"  said 
Felix,  with  the  airy  manner  of  an  intimate  friend ;  but 
he  was  secretly  astonished  to  see  that  a  man  of  the 
prince's  high  position  was  actually  cutting  the  pages 
of  the  pamphlet  before  him,  and  underlining  with  red 
and  blue  pencil-marks  the  passages  that  pleased  him 
most. 

The  prince  laid  down  the  pamphlet,  and  asked  Felix 
to  take  a  chair. 

"I  have  only  this  moment  heard,"  continued  the 
banker,  "that  your  excellency  had  arrived  in  Paris,  and 
I  hastened  to  be  the  first  to  pay  my  respects." 

"  Strange  !  At  this  very  moment,  I,  too,  was  occupy- 
ing myself  with  your  affairs,"  returned  the  prince,  with 
a  peculiar  smile,  which  Felix  noted  and  thought  he 
understood.  He  tried  to  put  on  a  jaunty  air  as  he  made 
answer : 

"  I  have  come  as  an  envoy  under  the  protection  of  a 
flag  of  truce  into  the  enemy's  country." 


366  BLACK   DIAMONDS 

The  prince  thought  to  himself,  "The  fellow's  flag  of 
truce  is  a  handkerchief  worked  with  the  letter  E." 

"  Even  greater  powers  than  we,"  went  on  Felix,  twirl- 
ing his  hat  in  his  fingers  with  some  embarrassment, 
"  have  in  sudden  emergencies  co-operated,  and  from  be- 
ing enemies  have  become  fast  friends,  recognizing  that 
to  bury  the  hatchet  was  for  their  mutual  advantage." 

"And  may  I  inquire  what  is  for  our  mutual  advan- 
tage ?" 

"  My  projected  loan." 

The  prince  said  nothing,  but  the  smile  that  played 
upon  his  thin  lips  was  a  sufficient  and  most  irritating 
answer.  Felix  began  to  lose  his  calmness.  He  rose 
from  his  chair,  and  in  his  earnestness  leaned  over  the 
table  at  which  the  prince  was  sitting. 

"  Prince,"  he  said,  "  this  loan  is  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Holy  See.     You  are,  I  know,  a  good  Catholic." 

"  Who  has  betrayed  my  secret  .^" 

"Besides,  you  are  a  thorough  aristocrat.  It  must  go 
against  your  highness's  feelings  to  see  that  while  in 
Hungary  a  bureaucratic  minister  pillages  the  Church 
and  puts  its  revenues  in  his  pocket,  a  band  of  freeboot- 
ers throws  the  patrimony  of  St.  Peter  to  the  mob.  All 
this  can  be  prevented  by  our  striking  one  blow.  You 
will  strike  it,  for  you  are  a  nobleman  in  the  best  sense 
of  the  word." 

"What  else  am  I?" 

"Above  all,  you  are  a  financier.  It  cannot  escape 
your  keen  eye  that  this  loan  is  one  of  the  greatest,  the 
soundest  of  speculations;  for  you  are  a  prudent  man, 
and  you  know  how  to  add  two  and  two." 

"  Have  I  any  other  qualifications  ?" 

Waldemar's  cold,  sarcastic  rejoinders  did  not  put 
Felix  out  of   countenance.     His  face   assumed  a  still 


MAN    AND   WIFE  367 

more  amiable  expression  as  he  offered  his  hand  to  the 
prince,  saying,  in  a  cordial  manner : 

"  I  trust  you  will  be  the  honored  friend  of  the  house 
of  Kaulmann." 

These  words  would  be  met  either  by  a  warm  shake  of 
the  hand  or  by  a  box  on  the  ear.  He  ran  the  risk,  wait- 
ing breathlessly  for  the  answer,  which  was  different 
from,  and  yet  worse  than,  that  he  expected.  The  prince 
took  up  the  pamphlet  which  he  had  been  busy  under- 
lining with  red  and  blue  pencil. 

"Now,  my  excellent  brother  in  the  faith,  my  fellow 
aristocrat,  my  comrade  in  finance,  and  my  best  friend, 
just  you  throw  your  eye  over  this  little  brochure,  for 
there  you  will  find  my  answer.  I  beg  that  you  will  take 
your  time." 

He  handed  the  pamphlet  to  Felix,  and  while  that 
gentleman  cast  his  eye  over  it  the  prince  pared  his  nails 
carefully. 

Felix  laid  down  the  pamphlet.  "This  purports  to  be 
my  biography." 

"As  I  think  the  title-page  mentions." 

"  Your  highness  is,  I  presume,  the  writer .?" 

"  I  have  given  the  heads." 

"There  are  all  manner  of  affairs  mentioned  here  in 
which  I  have  played  a  sorry  part  by  throwing  dust  in 
the  eyes  of  the  public,  principally,  however,  in  the  Bon- 
davara  speculation,  in  which,  it  seems,  I  have  announced 
a  false  balance  and  a  feigned  bonus,  drawn  ten  millions 
out  of  the  capital,  which  capital  is  now  irrecoverably 
lost  by  the  late  catastrophe  in  the  mine.  It  is  a  terrible 
indictment  against  me." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  not  true  V 

" //  z's  true!  Your  highness  is  my  faithful  biogra- 
pher ;  but  allow  me  to  fill  up  the  details  of  the  memoir. 


368  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  unlooked-for  misfortune  of  yesterday  can  be  re- 
paired to-morrow;  the  unlucky  speculation  may  be 
glossed  over  if  a  better  takes  its  place ;  a  small  defeat 
is  compensated  by  a  great  victory.  What  use  does  your 
highness  intend  to  make  of  this  brochure?" 

"  Frankly,  I  intend,  as  soon  as  you  declare  your  new 
loan,  to  circulate  this  pamphlet  freely  on  'change.  I 
shall  then  set  the  bears  to  work,  so  that  in  no  time 
your  shares  shall  be  driven  out  of  the  market." 

"I  guessed  as  much,  and,  to  be  frank,  it  was  on  this 
very  account  that  I  have  come  here,  to  prevent,  if  I 
can,  such  ruin  to  myself." 

Felix  tried  by  continuous  winking  of  his  eyes  to  ex- 
press his  despair.  He  put  his  right  hand  into  his  vest, 
and  in  a  low  voice  added : 

"  Perhaps  when  you  see  me  stretched  dead  before 
you  your  aim  will  then  be  accomplished." 

Prince  Waldemar  broke  into  an  irrepressible  fit  of 
laughter  and  clapped  Kaulmann  on  the  shoulder, 

"  I  beg  of  you  not  to  act  a  farce  for  my  benefit.  You 
did  not  come  here  to  blow  your  brains  out.  Nothing  of 
the  sort;  you  came  to  sell  me  something.  You  are  a 
ruined  speculator,  but  you  still  possess  one  jewel  of 
value,  a  wonderful  black  carbuncle  which  you  found  in 
the  coal-mine  and  got  smoothly  cut,  which  you  have  al- 
ready sold  at  a  great  profit,  but  which  is  now  back  on 
your  hands.  You  are  perfectly  aware  that  I  desire  to 
get  this  jewel  if  I  can,  that  I  am  willing  to  offer  all  I 
have  for  it ;  and  this  is  why  you  have  come  here  to-day. 
Let  us  understand  one  another.  I  will  treat  with  you. 
What  is  your  price  ?" 

The  prince  threw  himself  back  in  his  chair,  but  he 
let  Kaulmann  stand  without  again  asking  him  to  be 
seated. 


MAN    AND    WIFE  369 

The  banker  gave  up  his  tragic  manner,  and  resumed 
his  customary  cool,  hard,  matter-of-fact  voice. 

"  First  of  all,  this ;"  and  he  laid  his  hand  upon  the 
pamphlet. 

"Good!  You  shall  have  it — a  thousand  copies  and 
the  manuscript.  You  can  burn  it,  unless  you  care  to 
keep  it  as  a  souvenir." 

"Secondly,"  went  on  Felix,  "you  must  abandon  your 
conspiracy  against  me.  During  the  three  days  of  raising 
the  loan  your  bears  are  to  keep  quiet ;  there  are  to  be 
no  manoeuvres.  Thirdly,  your  name  must  appear  in  the 
list  of  subscribers  with  a  good  sum  after  it." 

"  Good !  We  shall  understand  one  another.  Now 
listen  to  my  modifications  of  your  proposal.  On  the 
first  day  when  the  shares  of  the  new  loan  are  drawn  I 
undertake  to  keep  the  bears  quiet,  but  I  shall  take  no 
shares.  On  the  second  day  I  shall  also  keep  quiet,  but 
I  shall  not  give  you  a  shove.  On  the  third  day  I  shall 
take  one  million  shares,  and  from  that  time  I  undertake 
to  push  your  speculation  as  if  I  were  your  best  friend." 

"  And  why  not  on  the  first  two  days  ?" 

"  I  will  tell  you  what  is  to  happen  on  those  days.  This 
very  day  you  must  go  to  madame  and  tell  her  that  Prince 
Theobald's  fortune  is  sequestrated  and  that  she  can  no 
longer  occupy  his  hotel.  Madame  was  once  generous 
enough  to  return  to  the  prince  his  palace  in  the  Maxi- 
milian Strasse,  together  with  all  it  contained.  She  will 
have  to  repeat  this  act  of  renunciation  and  return  to  her 
husband's  roof.  Her  husband  must  celebrate  this  happy 
event  by  a  splendid  entertainment,  to  which  he  will,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  invite  his  best  friend."  Here  the 
prince  laid,  with  a  significant  gesture,  his  little  finger  on 
his  breast.  "  The  friend  will  take  this  opportunity  to  show 
madame  a  photograph  of  his  summer  palace,  which  is 


370  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

situated  on  the  Lake  of  Constance,  and  only  waits  for 
the  presence  of  its  mistress  to  be  perfection,  while  she 
stands  in  great  need  of  the  lovely  breezes  of  the  lake  to 
restore  her." 

"You  are  really  very  thoughtful." 

"  Do  not  praise  me  too  soon.  On  the  second  day 
you  must  have  an  explanation  with  madame.  You  will 
tell  her  that  in  France  a  marriage,  to  be  legal,  must  be 
contracted  before  the  civil  magistrate ;  therefore  you 
will  go  with  her  before  the  registrar  and  have  yourself 
legally  married." 

"  But,  prince,"  cried  Felix,  with  a  horrified  expression 
upon  his  face,  "why  should  I  do  that  V 

"  Why?"  returned  the  prince,  standing  up  in  his  turn, 
so  as  to  be  able  the  better  to  overwhelm  his  victim. 
"  Because  I  wish  to  defeat  your  little  game.  You  took 
to  yourself  a  wife  in  another  country,  knowing  you  could 
repudiate  her  here.  It  is  my  wish  that  madame  shall 
bear  your  name  always ;  otherwise  you  would  have  it  in 
your  power  on  the  fourth  day  to  say  to  me,  '  I  gave  you 
what  was  not  mine  to  give.'  I  shall  have  the  diamond  in 
its  proper  setting.  I  shall  not  remove  the  centre-stone 
from  your  wedding-ring ;  but  I  shall  wear  it  on  mj  fin- 
ger." 

Kaulmann  could  not  conceal  his  embarrassment. 
"  This  whim  is  incomprehensible,"  he  said. 

"  On  the  contrary,"  returned  the  other,  with  a  devilish 
sneer,  "it  is  quite  clear;  it  simply  means  that  I  know 
you  an  fond.  And  now  to  my  own  affairs.  I  am  des- 
perately in  love  with  one  woman,  and  she  detests  me. 
She  will  not  even  look  at  me.  But  she  little  thinks  I 
know  the  reason  of  her  abhorrence.  Your  wife  is  a 
virtuous  woman.  You  look  surprised — naturally.  It  is 
no  merit  of  yours  that  she  has  remained  so.     Oh,  you 


MAN    AND    WIFE  37 1 

need  not  protest!  Prince  Theobald  has  told  me  the 
whole  histor}^  Among  other  things,  he  made  her  swear 
that  she  would  never  receive  me.  Poor  old  fool !  He 
did  not  act  with  much  knowledge  of  human  nature.  If 
he  had  not  interfered  it's  very  likely  I  should  have 
tired  of  pursuing  a  woman  who  did  not  care  for  me ; 
but  the  mystery  that  surrounded  her  has  added  to  my 
interest.  I  adore  her,  not  alone  for  her  beauty,  her 
charm,  but  for  her  innocence,  her  goodness.  She  re- 
quires nothing  to  raise  her  in  my  estimation  ;  but  before 
the  world  she  must  take  her  fitting  place.  She  must 
have  the  shield  of  her  husband's  name,  the  right  to  his 
protection.     Now  you  understand  what  I  require  of  you." 

"  Prince,  your  ideas  are  demoniacal.  You  wish  to 
bind  me  to  my  dishonor." 

"To  your  dishonor!"  and  the  prince  laughed  scorn- 
fully. "  My  good  Kaulmann,  who  asked  you  to  come 
here  and  sell  your  honor  ?  Ah,  you  cannot  answer  that ! 
Never  mind,  we  shall  keep  our  secret ;  the  world  shall 
know  nothing.  In  society  the  head  of  the  house  of 
Kaulmann  shall  be  considered  an  honorable  gentleman, 
an  excellent  husband,  a  good  family  man.  In  the  com- 
mercial world  he  will  be  looked  upon  as  a  sound  finan- 
cier. Honors  will  crowd  upon  him  ;  he  will  go  far.  .  .  . 
His  real  position  will  be  known  to  only  three  people. 
There,  my  good  friend,  don't  feign  so  much  virtuous  in- 
dignation. You  are  overacting,  which  always  spoils  the 
effect.  I  will  take  it  all  for  granted.  Time  is  short;  it 
will  be  better  to  make  use  of  it." 

This  was  true.  Every  moment  was  precious.  Felix 
abandoned  all  attempts  at  outraged  feelings  of  honor 
and  the  like,  and,  composing  his  agitated  features,  held 
out  his  hand  to  the  prince.  The  latter,  however,  did  not 
take  it. 


372  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  There's  no  need  to  shake  hands  over  our  honorable 
compact.  Take  your  note-book  and  write  down  the 
conditions,  and  be  sure  you  put  the  dates  correctly.  To- 
morrow, if  I  receive  by  one  o'clock  the  card  of  invitation 
to  your  entertainment,  I  shall  remain  away  from  the  ex- 
change. The  next  day  I  do  the  same ;  that  is,  if  I  re- 
ceive befo7'e  one  o'clock  the  official  notification  that  your 
civil  marriage  has  taken  place.  On  the  fourth  day,  if 
before  ouQ  o'clock  your  solicitor  brings  me  the  news  that 
you  have  set  off  to  Brussels  to  negotiate  the  papal  loan, 
and  that  he  hands  me  the  key  of  your  house,  with  the 
request  that  I  will  look  after  the  business  in  your  ab- 
sence, then  I  shall  go  down  to  the  exchange,  and  push 
your  affair  as  if  it  were  my  own.  Now  you  may  go,  sir, 
and  indulge  your  outraged  feelings  in  private." 


CHAPTER    XXXI 

EVA    DIRKMAL 

Felix  Kaulmann  felt  that  he  had  made  good  use  of 
his  opportunity.  All  would  now  go  well.  The  prince 
would  no  longer  avail  himself  of  the  Bondavara  catas- 
trophe to  ruin  him  ;  on  the  contrary,  his  influence  would 
stem  the  panic  which  the  news  had,  no  doubt,  already 
caused  in  the  Vienna  money-market,  and  when  the  papal 
loan  was  concluded  all  would  be  smooth.  There  was 
Eveline,  of  course  ;  but  a  man  such  as  Kaulmann,  whose 
conscience  had  long  since  been  as  withered  as  was  his 
heart,  soon  found  excuses  for  any  ill-doing.  No  one 
could  blame  him  for  the  prince's  infatuation  ;  it  would 
be  only  a  fool  who  wouldn't  take  advantage  of  it,  es- 
pecially one  in  his  situation.  A  drowning  man  catches 
at  any  plank  ;  and  as  for  Eveline,  she  owed  him  a  debt 
of  gratitude.  Had  he  not  raised  her  from  the  very  dust 
of  the  coal-pit  to  her  present  situation,  saved  her  from  a 
brutal  husband  like  the  savage  Saffran,  educated  her, 
made  her  a  fit  companion  for  a  prince  ?  Better  women 
than  she  w^ould  be  glad  of  the  elevation  that  was  await- 
ing her ;  and  this  reminded  him  that  the  Abbe  Samuel's 
interview  must  have  opened  the  matter,  so  he  went  in 
search  of  him.  The  priest,  however,  was  not  to  be 
found  at  any  of  his  usual  haunts.  Felix,  therefore,  re- 
paired to  Eveline's  hotel;  neither  was  she  at  home.  She 
had  gone  to  the  theatre ;  it  was  one  of  her  acting  nights. 


374  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Felix  drove  to  the  Opera-house.  He  went  first  to  his 
wife's  box,  where  there  was  no  one  but  her  companion. 
He  took  a  view  of  the  house.  In  the  pit  there  were 
numerous  claqners.  In  one  of  the  front  boxes  he  saw 
Prince  Waldemar.  Then  he  went  behind  the  scenes, 
for  he  was  known  as  the  husband  of  the  prima  donna 
and  was  allowed  access  to  her  dressing-room. 

Eveline  was  dressed  for  her  part  and  waiting  to  go 
on.  When  she  saw  Kaulmann  she  turned  away  angrily. 
Why  did  he  disturb  her  when  she  was  busy  with  her 
calling  } 

"  I  have  only  come  to  wish  you  good-evening,"  he  said. 

"You  migcht  have  waited  until  to-morrow." 

"  To  wish  you  good-evening  }     Ha  !  ha  !" 

"  No  ;  but  you  know  I  am  always  so  nervous  before  I 
go  on — " 

"  I  only  wished  to  tell  you  tliat  the  cream  of  Parisian 
society  are  fighting  to  get  tickets  for  your  concert. 
Have  you  reserved  one  for  me  ?"  Felix  was  full  of 
amiability  and  admiration. 

"  I  have  reserved  none." 

"  Ah  !  And  why  not  ?"  He  said  this  in  a  soft,  com- 
plaining voice. 

"  Because  I  have  given  up  the  concert.  It  shall  not 
take  place." 

The  face  of  her  husband  suddenly  lengthened.  "  Will 
you  kindly  tell  me  the  reason  of  this  change  ?" 

"  After  I  have  come  off.  INIy  scene  has  come.  I 
must  go."  So  saying,  she  left  the  room  and  went  to 
the  wings. 

Felix  followed  to  a  point  from  which  he  could  see 
his  wife  on  the  stage  and  have  a  general  view  of  the 
house. 

Eveline   played  badly  and   sang   worse.      Her  voice 


EVA    DIRKMAL 


375 


trembled,  she  was  out  of  tune,  and  her  runs  and  roulades 
were  imperfect.  She  was  evidently  nervous.  Never- 
theless, she  was  applauded  to  the  echo,  the  <rA7^//^  worked 
hard;  and  Prince  Waldemar,  from  his  box,  clapped  as 
if  he  had  been  paid  for  it.  When  she  had  finished  her 
last  song  a  shower  of  bouquets  and  wreaths  came  from 
the  prince's  box  and  fell  at  her  feet. 

Eveline  left  them  on  the  stage  and  hurried  away  to 
her  dressing-room.     Kaulmann  followed  her. 

"  Why  didn't  you  pick  up  those  lovely  bouquets  ?"  he 
asked,  carelessly. 

"  I  felt  I  didn't  deserve  any.  I  know  I  did  badly  to 
night." 

"  But  surely  for  the  sake  of  the  giver  you  should  have 
taken  one  of  the  bouquets." 

"  Ah,  you  would  like  that." 

"  Yes.  All  those  flowers  came  from  you — at  least,  so 
I  have  always  understood." 

"Pardon  me,  ma  cJiere.  Didn't  you  notice  that  they 
all  came  from  the  side  box.''  Didn't  you  recognize  who 
was  in  that  box  .'"' 

"  I  never  looked." 

"  It  was  Prince  Waldemar." 

"The  man  who  is  your  enemy — who  wants  to  ruin 
you  ?" 

"Oh,  that  is  not  so  !  He  has  quite  changed.  He  is 
now  our  best  friend." 

"(9//r  friend?     Whom  do  you  include  in  'our'?" 

"  You,  as  well  as  myself." 

"  Thanks ;  but  I  decline  my  share." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  find  it  difficult  to  stand  aloof, 
for  I  consider  Prince  Waldemar  as  my  best  friend,  and 
henceforth  my  house  is  open  to  him  as  to  a  brother." 


376  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"As  you  please.     My  house  shall  be  shut  in  his  face." 

"  I  am  sorry,  but  your  words  oblige  me  to  break  a 
disagreeable  piece  of  news  to  you.  But  I  see  you  are 
busy ;  you  don't  take  any  interest — " 

"Go  on  talking,"  returned  Eveline,  who  was  standing 
before  the  looking-glass  washing  the  paint  off  her  face. 
"  I  am  listening." 

"  For  the  future,  I  regret  to  say,  you  will  not  have  a 
house  of  your  own.  The  affairs  of  your  friend,  Prince 
Theobald,  have  been  sequestrated  ;  his  property  is  now 
in  the  hands  of  trustees.  I  need  not  tell  you,  for  I  am 
sure  you  have  known  all  along,  that  the  hotel  you  occupy, 
together  with  all  your  expenses,  has  been  paid  for  by 
him.  This,  naturally,  is  at  an  end.  In  my  circumstances 
I  could  not  afford  to  give  you  a  separate  establishment ; 
we  will,  therefore,  be  obliged  to  live  together,  and  it  fol- 
lows naturally  that  I  shall  expect  my  wife  to  receive  as 
her  guests  my  friends^  and  to  make  them  welcome." 

Eveline  had  laid  aside  her  queenly  robes  ;  she  now 
took  off  her  diadem,  and  as  she  slowly  unfastened  her 
bracelets  she  turned  and  faced  Felix. 

"  And  do  you  think,"  she  said,  "  that  when  I  leave 
my  hotel  I  cannot  get  for  myself  a  garret  somewhere, 
where  there  will  be  a  door  with  a  strong  bolt,  with  which 
I  can  bar  the  entrance  of  any  unpleasant  visitors  ?" 

Felix  looked  at  her  in  amazement ;  he  constrained 
himself  to  take  a  more  friendly  tone. 

"  I  must  call  your  attention  to  one  fact.  We  are  in 
Paris,  and  the  French  marital  law  is  strict.  A  wife 
must  dwell  under  her  husband's  roof.  She  must  go 
where  he  goes.     She  must  obey  him." 

Eveline  was  now  busy  undoing  the  gold  sandals  which 
bound  her  feet.  She  looked  steadily  at  Kaulmann,  with 
her  eyes  glo\ying  like  lamps. 


EVA    DIRKMAL  377 

"  I  must  call  your  attention,"  she  said,  "  to  one  fact. 
We  are  in  Paris,  and  according  to  the  French  law  those 
persons  who  have  been  married  before  the  altar,  and 
not  before  the  civil  authorities,  are  not  considered  legal- 
ly married,  and  that,  therefore,  our  marriage  is  null  and 
void." 

Kaulmann  sprang  to  his  feet  as  if  he  had  been  bitten 
by  a  tarantula. 

"What  are  you  saying?"  he  cried,  in  a  voice  that  was 
almost  a  shriek, 

Eveline  had  loosened  the  golden  sandals.  She  stood 
before  Felix  in  her  bare  feet,  and  threw  him  the  sandals. 

"  These  belong  to  you.  I  am  once  more  Eva  Dirk- 
mal.     I  belong  to  myself." 

"Who  has  told  you  this  ?"  stammered  the  banker,  pale 
with  rage. 

"The  Abbe'  Samuel,  who  advised  you  to  treat  me  in 
the  same  manner." 

Kaulmann  felt  the  room  going  round. 

"And  now,"  continued  Eveline,  with  a  dignified  mo- 
tion of  her  hand,  "  I  must  remind  you  that  this  is  the 
dressing-room  of  a  young  girl." 

Felix  did  not  wait  to  have  his  dismissal  repeated;  he 
took  his  hat  and  went  without  another  word.  He  ran 
away,  and  he  ran  so  fast  that  he  took  no  heed  where  he 
was  going  till  he  stumbled  and  fell. 

All  WMS  over;  he  had  played  his  last  card  and  lost. 
Everything  was  gone  ;  there  was  no  more  help.  He  had 
two  courses  open  to  him  :  he  might  put  a  pistol  to  his 
head,  and  so  end  the  drama,  or  he  might  take  all  the 
money  in  his  counting-house  and  fly.  He  chose  the 
last. 


CHAPTER   XXXII 
CRUSHED 

Eveline  felt  as  if  she  had  been  given  new  life.  She 
was  no  longer  married,  and  yet  she  was  not  a  widow. 
She  had  to  shed  no  tears  over  happiness  that  had  van- 
ished, no  regrets  for  domestic  joys.  Her  heart  was  full 
of  newly  awakened  desires,  hopes  she  hardly  dared  to 
confess  to  herself,  dreams  that  delighted  while  they 
embarrassed  her — a  delicious  riddle  that  she  feared  to 
guess.  Next  day,  however,  when  she  heard  that  Kaul- 
mann  had  absconded  and  would  never  return,  she  recog- 
nized fully  that  her  chains  had  fallen  off. 

When  the  caged  bird  has  escaped  into  the  open  air  of 
heaven,  does  he  ever  regret  his  gilded  cage  and  all  its 
luxurious  comforts  or  the  tender  endearments  of  his 
owner  ?  The  bird  enjoys  his  freedom,  and  rejoices  he  is 
no  longer  a  slave.  It  may  be  that  wilder  and  stronger 
birds  tear  him  in  pieces ;  that  the  frost  and  rain  may 
chill  his  body,  unused  to  exposure.  He  cares  not.  He 
wings  his  flight  still  higher;  he  seeks  for  a  branch;  he 
cooes  to  his  lady-love ;  he  is  happy. 

Eveline  never  for  one  moment  reflected  that  she  was 
in  any  way  implicated  in  the  fall  of  Kaulmann  and  the 
shame  that  attended  his  ruin.  She  had  no  idea  that  her 
name  was  bandied  about.  She  who  had  been  as  a  queen, 
who  had  been  so  admired,  had  such  a  S2ccch  !  What  was 
to  become  of  her  now  ?     She  belongs  to  no  one.     No 


CRUSHED  379 

one  knows  anything  of  her  past ;  but  it  is  pretty  safe  to 
prophesy  her  future.  She  will  have  another  protector. 
Of  course  ;  but  who  will  he  be  ?  Which  of  her  many  ad- 
mirers ?    She  has  a  legion  of  adorers  from  which  to  choose. 

This  was  the  talk  of  the  clubs  and  the  gossip  of  soci- 
ety. While  Eveline  sat  in  her  room,  rejoicing  at  her 
new  life  of  freedom,  an  idea  suddenly  came  into  her 
head.  She  looked  for  Arpad's  visiting-card,  ordered  her 
carriage,  and  drove  out  to  visit  the  Belenyis.  They 
lived  some  little  way  from  Paris,  in  the  suburbs,  where 
houses  can  still  be  had  with  rooms  on  the  ground  floor. 
Madame  Belenyi  liked  to  live  on  the  ground  floor.  The 
house  she  had  lost  was  of  this  sort,  and  it  had  the  ad- 
vantage that,  having  her  own  kitchen,  she  could  cook  for 
her  son,  and  feel  sure  he  was  not  dining  at  some  tavern 
in  bad  company.  Unless  on  special  occasions  Arpad 
invariably  came  home  to  dine  with  his  mother ;  he  would 
not  have  missed  doing  so  for  a  splendid  feast.  He 
thought  there  was  nothing  to  compare  with  her  dishes  of 
pig's  ear  and  delicately  cooked  vegetables. 

Eveline's  coachman  found  it  hard  to  make  out  the 
narrow  little  street  in  the  neighborhood  of  Montmartre, 
where  the  Belenyis  had  established  themselves.  Eveline 
would  not  let  the  carriage  go  farther  than  the  corner ; 
there  she  got  out,  and,  accompanied  by  her  footman, 
walked  up  the  street,  looking  for  the  right  house.  It  was 
an  old-fashioned  cottage,  in  which  Madame  Belenyi  had 
hired  two  rooms  divided  by  a  kitchen.  A  girl  who  was 
working  in  the  garden  showed  Eveline  where  the  young 
gentleman  lived.  As  Eveline  pushed  open  the  kitchen- 
door  very  gently  she  noticed  that  the  door  of  the  inner 
room  opened  suddenly  and  a  woman  looked  out.  This 
was  undoubtedly  Arpad's  mother,  who  was  curious  to  see 
who  had  come  to  visit  her  son. 


380  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Eveline  went  on  her  toes  to  the  door  of  the  opposite 
apartment,  and  noiselessly  turned  the  handle ;  she 
wanted  to  surprise  Arpad. 

His  room  was  the  picture  of  comfort  and  order.  It 
was  easy  to  see  how  carefully  it  was  kept  by  his  mother. 
The  table,  the  walls,  were  crowded  with  handsome  pict- 
ures and  ornaments,  the  gift  of  different  persons — cups, 
wood-carvings,  antique  weapons,  classical  paintings; 
the  windows  were  supplied  with  plants  in  bloom ;  there 
were  bookcases  full  of  books.  Everything  was  well 
arranged ;  there  was  taste  and  comfort,  and  Arpad  liked 
to  be  at  home  better  than  anywhere  else.  The  hired 
piano  was  from  Erard's  manufactory,  and  was  now  open. 
Arpad  was  sitting  with  his  back  to  it,  brush  in  hand ;  he 
was  painting.  The  pianoforte-player  was  also  a  painter. 
Artists,  many  of  them,  indulge  in  these  freaks.  One  of 
our  most  distinguished  portrait-painters  loves  to  torture 
his  neighbors  by  scratching  like  a  cat  upon  the  strings 
of  a  violin;  so  also  a  well-known  musician  spends  his 
time  writing  feeble  verses ;  and  a  third,  who  is  a  real 
poet,  produces  unsightly  excrescences  in  marble  and 
terra-cotta. 

What  was  Arpad  painting  ? 

Eveline  stepped  softly  behind  his  back,  but  the  rustle 
of  her  silk  dress  betrayed  her  presence. 

Arpad  turned  scarlet,  shoved  the  picture  into  a 
drawer,  and,  getting  up  quickly,  confronted  his  visitor, 
who  had  only  time  to  see  that  it  was  a  portrait  he  was 
painting. 

"  Ah,  it  is  you,"  he  stammered,  in  an  embarrassed 
voice.     "  I  thought  it  was  my  mother." 

"Aha,  you  are  doing  something  you  should  not! 
Your  mother  does  not  allow  you  to  paint ;  isn't  that  it  ? 
Well,  it   is  a  silly  thing,  I   must  say,  for  a  pianoforte- 


CRUSHED  381 

player  to   spend  his   time   painting;    and  what   is  the 
subject?" 

"  Oh,  nothing — a  flower  !" 

("What  a  lie  !"  thought  Eveline  ;  "  it  was  a  portrait") 

"  Then  if  it  is  a  flower,  give  it  to  me." 

"  I  should  rather  not." 

"  But  if  it  is  only  a  flower?" 

"  I  am  not  going  to  give  it  to  you." 

"  Don't  be  so  cross.    Won't  you  ask  me  to  sit  down  ?" 

Arpad  was  really  vexed.  Why  had  she  come  to  dis- 
turb him  just  at  this  moment?  Any  other  time  she 
would  have  been  welcome.  This  beginning  spoiled  the 
happy  hour;  for  the  picture  was  not  Eveline's  portrait. 

"  Sit  near  me,  else  1  shall  think  you  are  afraid  of  me. 
I  expected  that  you  would  have  come  to  see  me,  to  find 
fault  with  me  for  my  performance  yesterday  evening. 
Tell  me  frankly — didn't  I  sing  badly?" 

"Very  badly,"  returned  Arpad,  discontentedly.  "You 
are  going  back  instead  of  forward ;  and  you  seem  to 
forget  all  you  learn.  I  was  quite  ashamed  of  you. 
And  your  acting!  I  thought  I  was  looking  at  an 
automaton." 

"To  teU  you  the  truth,  I  was  in  a  miserable  state  of 
mind  ;  I  had  several  domestic  troubles.  I  am  separated 
from  Kaulmann." 

"  That  was  no  reason  to  sing  false ;  he  wasn't  worth 
risking  your  engagement  for,  and  playing  in  such  a  per- 
functory manner — singing,  too,  all  out  of  tune.  You 
never  troubled  yourself  much  about  him."  (Arpad 
knew  nothing  of  what  had  happened  to  Kaulmann  ;  the 
news  had  not  penetrated  to  Montmartre.)  "  And,  at  all 
events,  you  should  have  had  the  discretion  not  to  order 
a  shower  of  bouquets  when  you  were  doing  so  badly ; 
it  doesn't  look  well." 


382  BLACK   DIAMONDS 

Eveline  was  very  much  wounded  at  this  unjust  ac- 
cusation.    She  answered,  almost  crying: 

"  I  beg  to  assure  you  I  have  never  ordered  bouquets 
to  be  thrown  to  me." 

"  Well,  it  was  one  of  your  adorers,  that  crazy  prince. 
It  is  all  the  same  thing.  To  be  handsome,  to  sing 
badly,  and  to  receive  wreaths,  those  are  three  sins  rolled 
into  one.     The  world  cannot  distinguish  between  them." 

"  Very  well ;  go  on  finding  fault,  go  on  scolding,  my 
excellent  old  master.  What  else  have  I  done  that  is 
displeasing  to  you  ?" 

Arpad  began  to  laugh,  and  held  out  his  hand  to 
Eveline. 

"  Forgive  me,"  he  said.  "  My  roughness  is  only  the 
grumble  of  the  preceptor ;  it  is  over.  Now  we  shall  be 
young  again  and  chat.  Shall  I  fetch  the  draught- 
board ?     Shall  we  play  for  love  or  for  nothing?" 

This  tone  warmed  Eveline's  heart.  She  laughed,  and 
slapped  Arpad's  hand,  which  he  did  not  like. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  now  you  have  got  rid  of 
Kaulmann  ?"  he  said.  "Will  you  marry  again.?  Is  an- 
other man  ready  for  the  yoke  ?  Men  are  as  plentiful  as 
blackberries.  Or  are  you  going  to  preserve  the  au- 
tonomy of  the  actress  ?" 

Eveline  cast  down  her  eyes  and  grew  suddenly  grave. 

"  I  have  no  one,"  she  said,  sorrowfully. 

"Ah,  that  does  not  mean  that  there  are  not  plenty 
you  can  have  if  you  like." 

"  It  means  the  same  thing.  I  shall  belong  to  no  one. 
I  shall  never  take  a  husband  who  is  above  me  in  sta- 
tion. Do  you  see,  the  girl  who  went  barefoot  in  the 
coal-mine  must  stay  in  her  own  class.  If  I  could  give 
any  one  a  place  in  my  heart,  it  would  be  to  one  who 
was  as  free  and  independent  as  I  am.     He  should  owe 


CRUSHED  383 

nothing  to  great  people  ;  he  should  depend  absolutely 
on  his  own  genius  ;  live  absolutely  by  his  own  work. 
He  should  be  esteemed  not  for  his  money  nor  his  rank, 
but  for  his  talent;  he  should  glory  in  being  an  artist." 

This  was  a  frank  confession  for  any  one  who  under- 
stood. Arpad  understood ;  he  became  more  discon- 
tented. 

"  H'm  !  Then  I  am  afraid  you  are  walking  in  a  path 
that  leads  you  away  from  such  a  man  as  you  describe." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?" 

Arpad  got  up  from  his  chair.  "  Artists  have  many 
strange  ideas  ;  these  are  inseparable  from  the  artistic 
temperament.  Do  3'OU  see  that  antique  goblet  there  in 
the  centre  of  the  table  ?  It  was  a  present  to  me  from 
Count  Demidoff  on  the  occasion  of  a  concert.  It  was 
an  heirloom  in  his  family.  It  is  a  wonderful  relic;  a 
classsical  work.  Princes,  generals,  rulers  have  drunk 
out  of  it.  I  have  a  great  respect  for  it,  and  I  keep  my 
visitors'  cards  in  it.  But  I  never  drink  out  of  it ;  I 
prefer  a  common  glass,  for  which  I  have  paid  fifteen 
pence,  but  out  of  which  no  one  has  drunk  but  myself." 

Eveline  flushed  deeply  at  this  cruel  speech. 

Arpad  had,  however,  resolved  to  make  the  matter  still 
clearer. 

"  You  say,"  he  went  on,  "  that  you  would  like  to  find 
an  artist,  a  genius,  a  proud,  independent  man  ;  him  you 
would  choose  for  your  husband  !  And  you  imagine  that 
a  man  of  this  type  would  submit  to  sit  by  your  side  as 
you  drove  in  the  Champs  Elysees,  knowing  that  the 
people  driving  behind  in  other  carriages  or  walking 
along  the  path  were  saying,  '  There  is  the  curled  and 
scented  Hyperion,  but  the  steeds  that  draw  him  are  not 
paid  for  by  his  muse,  they  are  the  blood-horses  of  Prince 
X ;  and  his  wife  is  not  content  with  the  glory  of /^/>y 


384  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

name,  she  wears  the  diamonds  provided  by  Marquis 
G .'  Do  you  think  you  will  easily  find  such  a  hus- 
band ?" 

Poor  Eveline  !  She  tried  to  defend  herself  against 
this  cruel  boy. 

"  But  I  am  ready  to  throw  away  all  splendor — every- 
thing that  is  not  earned  by  my  honest  labor.  I  wish  to 
live  by  my  art,  to  be  what  I  am — an  actress.  I  would 
work  night  and  day  to  perfect  myself.  I  do  not  want  any 
other  distinction  but  that  of  an  artist." 

Arpad  then  told  her  what  she  had  never  heard  until 
now.  Children  and  fools  speak  the  truth,  and  in  Arpad 
there  was  a  mixture  of  both ;  he  was  a  child  in  years, 
and  a  fool  as  regarded  the  claims  of  art. 

"  My  dear  Eveline,  you  are  not  an  artist;  you  will  never 
be  an  actress ;  you  are  one  of  the  step-daughters  of  the 
muses.  There  are  many  such,  to  whom  have  been  given 
great  capabilities  ;  one  only  is  wanting — courage.  You 
sing  wonderfully  well,  you  act  with  feeling,  with  humor 
— at  home,  before  three  people  ;  but  so  soon  as  the  lights 
of  the  proscenium  are  lit  your  voice  grows  weak,  you 
sing  false,  you  see  and  hear  nothing,  and  you  act  like  a 
wooden  doll.  This  is  called  stage-fright,  and  it  is  never 
cured;  it  has  ruined  more  brilliant  careers  than  the  critics 
have.  You  shake  your  head  and  appeal  to  your  former 
triumphs.  Don't  deceive  yourself;  I  know  the  machin- 
ery of  the  stage  well,  and  how  artificial  thunder  and  light- 
ning are  manufactured.  At  every  performance  you  gain 
a  triumph ;  you  receive  thunders  of  applause,  mountains 
of  flowers.  The  morning  after  your  performance  your 
breakfast-table  is  covered  with  newspapers  teeming  with 
laudatory  criticisms.  This  is  all  gold-dust,  and  will 
only  last  as  long  as  some  rich  admirer  pays  the  piper. 
But  try  the  experiment  of  closing  your  doors  to  your 


CRUSHED  385 

wealthy  patrons,  and  step  on  the  boards  with  no  help 
but  your  own  talents ;  ask  to  be  applauded  for  your  own 
sake.  Then  you  will  learn  the  price  of  the  entertainment, 
and  that  the  critic's  praise  is  only  to  be  bought." 

Eveline's  head  sank.  She  knew  that  every  word  he 
said  was  true.  Arpad  viewed  the  matter  not  so  much 
from  the  artistic  side  as  from  his  youthful,  ardent  nature. 
He  was  indignant  against  the  fashions  of  the  world  ;  he 
was  indignant  that  Eveline  should  have  lent  herself  to 
these  low  intrigues,  and  so  taken  the  place  of  better 
artists,  better  musicians,  better  actresses ;  but  in  his 
heart  he  was  sorry  for  her.  She  had  been  kind  to  him  ; 
she  had  never  offended  him.  Why  was  he  so  cruel  to 
her?  It  was  due  to  the  petulance  of  his  boy's  nature. 
Why  had  she  disturbed  him  when  he  was  happy  at  his 
painting?  Why  had  she  asked  him  questions?  What 
was  it  to  her  whether  it  were  a  flower,  and,  if  it  were  a 
flower,  why  should  she  want  it  ?  And  when  he  put  out  his 
hand,  why  should  she  tap  it  in  that  intimate  manner? 
The  picture  was  not  painted  for  her. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?  What  am  I  fit  for?"  asked  Eveline, 
with  a  downcast  air.  Her  beautiful  eyes  were  full  of 
tears ;  she  was  crushed  to  the  earth. 

The  young  man  considered  a  few  minutes  what  he 
should  answer.  As  she  had  asked  to  drink  the  chalice 
she  should  do  so  to  the  dregs. 

"You  have  two  courses  open  to  you,  for  I  would  not 
advise  you  to  take  a  third  and  return  to  your  husband. 
If  I  were  a  woman  I  would  prefer  to  lie  stretched  out  at 
the  morgue  than  be  the  joint  possessor  of  that  man's  ill- 
gotten  wealth.  We  therefore  have  only  the  two  courses 
to  consider.  Either  you  continue  on  the  stage  as  before, 
take  the  bought  applause  and  the  flowers  paid  for  by 
your  noble  patrons,  or  return  from  whence  you  came,  and 
25 


386  ,  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

be  content  to  shove  wheelbarrows  for  the  rest  of  your 
life." 

Eveline  rose  from  her  seat,  drew  her  wrap  round 
her  shoulders,  and,  with  a  low,  constrained  voice,  mur- 
mured : 

"Thank  you."     Then  she  silently  left  the  room. 

Tears  came  into  Arpad's  eyes.  But  why  had  she 
come  here .?  Why  had  she  disturbed  him  when  he  was 
happy  painting  ?  The  moment  she  had  closed  the  door 
he  returned  to  the  table  and  took  from  the  drawer  his 
Jfo7ver,  to  see  if  it  had  sustained  any  injury.  It  was  in 
one  sense  a  flower — a  fair  child  with  blue  eyes ! 

The  door  opened  again ;  the  picture  was  hastily  con- 
cealed. No  one,  however,  came  in.  Arpad's  mother 
spoke  through  the  half-opened  door. 

"  Arpad,  my  son,  who  was  that  beautiful  lady  who 
was  here  just  now?     A  princess,  was  she  not?" 

"  She  was  a  poor  woman  who  came  to  beg  from  me." 

"  H'm  !  Surprising !  What  extraordinary  beggars 
there  are  in  this  city — beggars  dressed  in  silk,  with  a 
Persian  shawl  for  a  wrap.  Did  you  give  her  anything, 
Arpad  ?" 

"Mother,  I  had  nothing  to  give  her." 

"You  have  done  well,  my  boy."  And  she  shut  the 
door  and  Avent  back  to  her  own  room  to  finish  stitching 
at  her  son's  shirt-collar. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII 
CHARCOAL 

Eveline  had  resolved  to  make  a  great  effort.  She 
recognized  that  there  was  truth  in  what  Arpad  had 
said;  only  in  one  particular  he  was  wrong:  he  had  not 
measured  the  gulf  between  "can"  and  "must." 

She  felt  herself  possessed  by  sudden  energy ;  her  res- 
olution to  succeed  grew  in  proportion  as  her  chance  of 
success  was  less.  Many  people  have  found  strength  in 
the  thought,  "  If  I  have  no  one  to  care  for  me,  I,  at 
least,  am  master  of  myself."  She  would  carve  her  own 
future ;  she  would  be  an  actress.  She  would  show  the 
world  what  was  in  her.  She  would  nerve  herself  to 
courage  before  the  footlights.  The  very  circumstances 
which  had  deprived  her  of  all  courage  would  now  give 
her  strength ;  she  would  sing  to  the  public  as  if  she 
were  alone.  The  crowed  should  go  for  nothing,  except 
in  being  sharers  in  her  triumph. 

She  spent  a  miserable  night.  The  luxury  which  sur- 
rounded her,  the  works  of  art  which  lay  upon  her  tables, 
in  her  cabinets,  the  costly  vases,  seemed  silently  to  re- 
proach her ;  the  cups  set  with  precious  stones  recalled 
Arpad's  words.  Better  to  be  a  glass  of  fifteen  sous 
than  a  goblet  of  silver  ! 

At  last  sleep  fell  upon  her  tired  eyelids,  and  in  the 
morning  she  awoke  refreshed  and  full  of  fresh  energy. 

This  day  the  opera  in  which  she  had  sung  the  day  be- 


388  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

fore  yesterday  was  to  be  repeated.  The  rehearsal  was 
to  take  place  in  the  morning.  At  this  rehearsal,  then, 
she  would  show  what  she  could  do;  she  would  look  at 
no  one  ;  she  would  sing  like  a  blind  nightingale. 

She  ordered  her  carriage.  When  she  reached  the 
theatre  she  told  the  servants  to  return  for  her  in  two 
hours. 

As  she  entered  the  vestibule  the  stage-manager  came 
to  meet  her,  and  told  her  that  her  part  had  been  given 
to  another  singer. 

Eveline  flew  into  a  passion.  Why  had  it  been  taken 
away  from  her,  and  in  such  a  manner,  without  asking 
her  permission  ?  Such  a  want  of  proper  deference  tow- 
ards her ! 

The  man  regretted  the  circumstance,  but  either  could 
not  or  would  not  offer  any  explanation.  Would  she  like 
to  see  the  manager  ? 

Eveline,  in  a  very  excited  frame  of  mind,  went  to 
look  for  him;  but  he  was  not  in  his  office.  His  secre- 
tary, however,  handed  her  a  letter,  which  the  manager 
had  desired  him  to  send  to  her  address. 

Eveline  took  the  letter,  and  when  she  was  in  the  hall 
she  broke  the  seal  and  read  it.  It  was  a  dismissal, 
immediate,  discourteous,  on  the  grounds  that  she  was 
quite  unequal  to  fill  the  position  of  prima  donna. 

How  she  got  out  of  the  theatre  and  into  the  street 
she  did  not  know;  she  came  to  herself  when  she  saw 
the  crowd  of  passers-by  staring  at  her.  She  felt  that  it 
was  no  wonder  they  looked  at  her.  She  v^^as  walking 
like  one  who  was  dead;  her  body  moved  forward,  but 
her  mind  was  lifeless.  It  was  strange  to  feel  one's  self 
thus  annihilated. 

Then  it  was  true;  the  cruel  boy  was  right.  The 
clouds  were  golden  only  so  long  as  the  sun  shone.     All 


CHARCOAL  389 

her  splendor  had  been  on  the  outside.  There  was  noth- 
ing tangible  ;  nothing  came  from  herself.  The  whole 
thing  had  been  ?i  fata  morgana;  it  had  now  vanished 
forever. 

Eveline  wandered,  she  didn't  know  where.  Suddenly 
she  found  herself  opposite  her  own  house.  She  would 
not  have  thought  it  strange  if  some  one  had  told  her  at 
the  door  of  the  hotel  that  no  one  of  her  name  lived  there, 
that  she  had  been  dead  and  buried  years  ago.  She 
thought  she  was  too  stunned  to  feel  either  astonishment 
or  pain,  but  her  composure  soon  gave  way  under  a  new 
trial. 

She  walked  upstairs,  still  in  a  dream,  and  through 
her  apartment  until  she  reached  her  dressing-room. 
When  she  entered  it  she  saw,  stretched  in  an  arm-cliair, 
Prince  Waldemar. 

He  was  faultlessly  attired,  with  a  most  elegant  tour- 
nure,  carefully  arranged  hair,  and  fair  whiskers,  hanging 
down  on  both  sides  in  what  were  then  called  "cutlets"; 
his  mustache  was  pointed  and  waxed. 

Eveline  called  out,  in  a  voice  of  fear,  mixed  with 
anger : 

"  May  I  ask,  sir,  what  you  want  here  ?" 

"  I  was  waiting  to  see  you,"  said  the  prince,  with  well- 
bred  nonchalance ;  but  he  never  rose  from  the  seat  in 
which  he  lounged  so  comfortably. 

"  Who  gave  you  permission  to  enter  my  room  ?" 

"  I  asked  for  no  permission." 

"  What  right  have  you  to  intrude  yourself  here  ?" 

With  a  lazy  air  the  prince  put  his  hand  into  the  pocket 
of  his  coat  and  drew  out  a  red  paper  like  a  bill ;  this  he 
handed  to  Eveline  with  a  slight  motion  of  his  head, 
which  conveyed,  "This  is  the  cause  of  my  presence 
here." 


39°  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Eveline  took  the  paper,  which  trembled  in  her  hand. 

"  What  is  it  ?     I  do  not  understand  it." 

"  It  is,  however,  very  intelligible,"  said  the  prince,  at 
last  getting  out  of  the  chair.  "  The  creditors  of  Kaul- 
mann  have  seized  your  things.  Kaulmann  was  careless 
or  thoughtless  enough — I  really  cannot  say  which — to 
announce  that  what  belonged  to  his  wife  was  his,  and 
therefore  his  creditors  have  seized  everything  here,  be- 
lieving it  is  his.  During  your  absence  this  morning 
they  got  the  law  officers  to  break  open  your  door  and  to 
take  possession.  They  affixed  a  notice  outside,  inviting 
all  passers-by  to  come  in  and  inspect  the  things  for  sale. 
In  consequence  of  this  invitation  I  am  here.  I  came  in 
to  look  about  me.  You  will  observe  that  there  are 
government  seals  upon  everything.  I  am  here  in  the 
right  of  purchaser." 

Eveline  looked  round,  and  saw  that  what  he  said  was 
true. 

"But,  sir,  it  is  impossible.  Kaulmann  knew  perfectly 
that  nothing  here  was  his  property." 

"  I  am  sure  of  that.  It  was  gross  negligence  on  your 
lawyer's  side;  he  should  have  protected  your  interests 
better.  Every  one  knows  that  Kaulmann  brought  the 
goods  here ;  it  was  supposed  that  he  bought  them.  In 
any  case,  he  cannot  testify  in  your  favor.  A  misfortune 
has  happened  to  him.  When  he  saw  that  the  police 
were  after  him  he  jumped  out  of  the  railway-carriage  he 
was  in.  Unfortunately,  he  broke  his  neck  and  died 
immediately." 

Eveline  fell  back  upon  the  sofa  and  hid  her  face  in 
her  hands. 

"  If  you  wish  to  shed  a  few  tears  to  the  memory  of 
Kaulmann  I  will  retire  to  the  window,"  remarked  Prince 
Waldem^r,  with  ironical  courtesy. 


CHARCOAL  39^ 

Eveline  made  him  no  answer.  In  her  mind  every- 
thing was  in  confusion;  she  could  think  of  nothing. 
Let  everything  go  ;  \vhat  did  it  matter  ?  Should  she 
institute  a  law-suit  to  recover  her  property  ?  Should  she 
bring  witnesses  to  prove  that  this  ornament,  these 
costfy  hangings,  these  rich  carpets  were  not  the  prop- 
erty of  her  husband,  but  the  gifts  to  her  from  a  gray- 
beard— the  most  upright,  the  dearest  of  men,  a  Hun- 
garian magnate,  who  had  adopted  her,  an  actress,  to  be 
his  own  child,  with  no  self-seeking,  no  sinful  gratifica- 
tion, but  out  of  pure  affection  ?  No  one  would  credit 
her  story.  She  would  tell  it  to  no  one.  She  would  not 
subject  the  name  of  her  benefactor  to  the  jeers  and 
laughter  of  the  incredulous.     Sooner  let  everything  go. 

"  I  am  not  weeping,  sir,"  she  said  to  the  prince.  "  If 
you  have  anything  further  to  tell  me  I  am  ready  to 
listen." 

"  I  could  tell  you  many  other  unfortunate  circum- 
stances," returned  Waldemar,  leaning  against  the  fire- 
place with  the  silver  grate.  "  For  one  thing,  Prince 
Theobald,  your  former  patron,  has  been  placed  by  his 
family  under  legal  restraint,  and  cannot  take  any  active 
part  in  the  affairs  of  this  world." 

"  I  know  that." 

"  The  shares  w^hich  he  took  as  a  provision  for  you  in 
the  Bondavara  Company  have  been  also  sequestrated 
by  law." 

"  That  has  been  told  to  me  already." 

"  This  loss,  however,  has  a  compensation  :  those 
shares  are  now  almost  worthless.  Since  the  colliery  ex- 
plosion, and  the  impossibility  of  extinguishing  the  fire  in 
the  mine,  they  have  fallen  to  nothing." 

"  That  does  not  concern  me." 

*'  I  have  not  quite  finished.     The  clergyman  who  was 


392 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


your  friend,  whose  dreams  were  of  a  bishop's  mitre,  has 
returned  to  his  monastery." 

"  I  have  known  that  some  time." 

"  You  seem  to  have  learned  everything.  Perhaps  3^ou 
know  also  that  your  manager  has  cancelled  your  engage- 
ment and  given  your  part  to  another  actress  ?" 

"  Here  is  the  letter,"  answered  Eveline,  drawing  a 
crumpled  paper  from  her  pocket.  And  then  she  looked 
at  the  prince  with  proud  contempt.  She  was  wondrous- 
ly  beautiful.  "  Have  you  taken  the  trouble  to  come  here 
to  tell  me  all  this  ?"  she  asked,  her  eyes  gleaming  not 
through  tears  but  with  indignation. 

"  I  did  not  come  here  on  that  account,"  answered  the 
prince,  sitting  down  on  the  sofa  and  bending  over  her. 
"  I  came  to  speak  to  you  frankly.  Do  you  not  see  that  the 
whole  fabric  upon  which  your  golden  dreams  were  built 
has  crumbled  ?  The  Bondavara  mine  is  on  fire ;  the 
shares  are  falling  ;  the  prime-minister  is  disgraced  ;  the 
prince  is  under  restraint ;  your  husband  is  dead ;  your 
property  will  be  sold  by  auction  ;  you  are  dismissed  from 
the  theatre.  The  five  acts  of  the  drama  are  played  out. 
Let  us  applaud  the  finish,  if  we  are  so  minded,  and  let  us 
begin  again.  I  can  give  you  back  your  shares.  I  can 
get  you  a  palace  in  the  Maximilian  Strasse.  I  can  buy 
back  for  you  all  your  seized  goods — your  furniture,  your 
diamonds,  your  horses.  I  can  arrange  matters  with  the 
manager  of  the  theatre  ;  you  shall  be  reinstated  as  prima 
donna  on  better  terms  than  before.  I  can  give  you  afar 
greater  position  than  you  have  ever  enjoyed,  and  I  can 
offer  you  a  truer,  more  self-sacrificing,  more  adoring 
lover  than  you  have  possessed.  His  name  is  Waldemar 
Sondersheim."     He  bowed  low  before  her. 

Eveline  looked  with  intense  gravity  at  the  top  of  his 
boots. 


CHARCOAL  393 


Waldemar  was  now  certain  that  he  was  master  of  the 
situation.  He  took  from  his  waistcoat-pocket  a  watch, 
and  pressed  it  into  her  hand. 

"My  sweetest  love,  my  time  is  precious.  I  am  ex- 
pected at  the  stock -exchange.  The  Kauhnann  specu- 
lation has  to  be  crushed.  It  is  just  twelve  o'clock.  I 
give  you  one  hour  to  think  over  what  I  have  said  and 
to  decide  your  own  fate.  I  am  content  to  wait  until 
then ;  it  is  only  one  word  I  ask  for— yes  or  no." 

Eveline  gave  him  a  yet  shorter  answer.  She  dashed 
the  timepiece  which  he  had  put  into  her  hand  with  such 
force  on  the  floor  that  it  flew  into  a  hundred  pieces. 
That  was  her  answer  ! 

Prince  Waldemar  laughed,  put  his  hand  in  his  left- 
hand  waistcoat-pocket,  took  out  another  \vatch,  and  said, 

dryly : 

"  I  expected  just  such  an  answer,  and  therefore  I 
brought  with  me  another  watch.  I  beg  of  you  to  break 
this  one  also.  I  shall  be  only  too  happy  to  provide  you 
with  a  third." 

This  time,  however,  Eveline  did  not  take  the  time- 
piece in  her  hand.  She  sprang  to  her  feet,  and,  pointing 
with  her  hand  towards  the  door,  cried  out : 

"  If  you  have  bought  my  things,  take  everything  away ; 
but  the  apartment  is  still  mine.      Go  P' 

Prince  Waldemar  looked  at  her  haughtily,  although 
he  was  still  smiling. 

"  My  dear  lady,  this  is  easily  said  ;  but  reflect  a  mo- 
ment. What  will  become  of  you  if  you  reject  me  ?  You 
have  no  other  expedient." 

"I  have  a  shelter,"  returned  the  girl,  bitterly,  "to 
which  I  can  turn,  and  that  is  charcoal." 

Prince  Waldemar  made  her  a  low  bow,  and,  without 
uttering  another  word,  took  his  hat  and  left  her. 


394  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

A  woman  who  appeals  to  charcoal  needs  no  man's 
friendship.  In  the  metropolis  of  fashion  many  poor 
wretches  have  found  their  last  refuge  there. 

That  evening  Eveline  paid  a  visit  to  her  jeweller. 
She  brought  him  a  pair  of  diamond  ear-rings.  They  were 
all  she  had  ;  her  ornaments  had  been  seized  by  the  law 
officers.  She  sold  these  to  the  jeweller,  and  left  the 
purchase-money  in  his  care,  to  be  spent  in  a  yearly  sum 
on  her  little  brother's  grave  in  Pere  la  Chaise,  to  have 
sods  of  green  grass  round  it,  and  have  fresh  flowers 
placed  there  on  All-Souls'  Day.  The  jeweller  promised, 
for  she  had  been  a  good  customer.  She  told  him  she 
was  going  to  travel.  Apparently  it  was  a  long  journey, 
for  the  next  morning  a  bundle  was  found  by  the  police 
on  the  banks  of  the  Seine.  It  was  tied  up  in  a  cash- 
mere shawl,  which  her  maid  recognized  as  belonging  to 
the  lost  actress. 

Prince  Waldemar  offered  a  large  reward  to  whoever 
found  the  body.  But  it  was  never  found,  for  the  bundle 
laid  at  the  water-side  was  only  a  pretence  ;  and  while 
every  one  was  dragging  the  river,  Eveline  had  kept  her 
word  and  sought  refuge  in  the  charcoal  pit. 

Prince  Waldemar  never  heard  of  her  again.  He  and 
his  household  wore  mourning  in  memory  of  her  for  six 
weeks. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 
csanta's  last  will  and  testament 

We  have  now  to  go  back  to  the  Bondavara  Company 
before  the  crash  came,  and  when  the  shares  stood  at 
sixty  over  par,  and  looked  as  if  they  would  go  even 
higher.  But  Csanta  was  satisfied  to  sell  at  sixty.  There 
could  be  too  much  of  even  a  good  thing.  One  should 
not  be  too  grasping,  and  sixty  thousand  gulden  is  a  nice 
profit  in  one  year.  He  thought  he  would  act  as  Spitz- 
hase  had  often  recommended,  and  sell  out  his  shares  in 
small  quantities  until  they  were  all  gone.  It  would  add 
to  the  pleasure  not  to  do  it  all  at  once. 

For  some  time  the  quotations  had  been  stationary. 
He  was  accustomed  to  go  every  morning  to  the  cafe 
and  read  the  exchange  column,  and  had  always  seen  the 
same  quotation — "Bondavara,  sixty  above  par." 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  upon  which  Csanta  had 
arranged  to  send  the  first  instalment  of  his  shares  to 
Vienna  he  went  to  his  cafe,  and,  while  waiting  to  be 
served,  took  up  the  first  newspaper  that  came  to  hand. 
As  usual  he  commenced  by  reading  it  backwards,  be- 
ginning at  the  exchange  column.  The  first  thing  that 
caught  his  eye  was,  "  Bondavara,  sixty  bdow  par^ 

A  printer's  error;  and  a  very  serious  one!  The 
printer  was  drunk  when  he  printed  it.  The  fellow  ought 
to  be  put  in  prison.  If  there  is  any  police  in  Vienna, 
or  justice  in  the  government,  such  a  thing  should  not 


396  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

pass  unpunished  ;  it  is  enough  to  shake  the  nerves  of 
any  man  not  made  of  iron.  If  this  is  not  a  disturbance 
of  the  peace,  I  don't  know  what  you  can  call  it. 

Then  he  took  another  paper.  The  same  mistake  ! 
He  went  through  the  round  of  the  daily  papers,  and 
found  that  all  the  printers  must  have  chosen  this  day 
for  a  drinking-bout,  as  each  one  made  the  same  error 
between  above  and  bdow  par. 

Csanta  was  convinced  that  some  great  mistake  had 
been  made ;  but  as  he  could  not  rest  until  it  was  cleared 
up,  he  telegraphed  to  Spitzhase. 

A  telegram  from  Spitzhase  crossed  his.     It  ran: 

"  Great  misfortune.  The  Bondavara  mine  is  on  fire. 
Great  panic.  The  shares  are  sixty  below  par.  Every 
one  is  selling." 

Csanta  cursed  and  swore  with  rage.  "  The  devil  take 
him  !  Sixty  below  par  ;  a  loss  of  sixty  thousand  gulden ! 
That  means  for  me  extinction.  Where  is  the  cord  and 
the  nail  ?  Let  me  hang  myself  !  Six  casks  full  of  silver 
gone  !  I  shall  murder  some  one  !  I  must  go  to  Vienna. 
I  shall  knock  the  whole  place  about  their  ears  like  a 
card  house  if  I  don't  get  back  my  silver.  I  didn't  take 
my  money  to  Vienna  to  leave  it  there." 

He  foamed  like  a  madman,  dragged  his  bonds  out  of 
his  safe,  threw  them  on  the  floor  and  stamped  upon 
them. 

"Villains!  knaves!  paper  beggars!  It  is  you  who 
have  eaten  up  my  silver  crowns!  You  have  swallowed 
my  sixty  thousand  silver  crowns !  I  will  tear  you  in 
pieces  !  I  will  cut  my  crowns  out  of  your  stomachs  !  I 
will  kill  you  dead  !" 

The  upsetting  of  his  safe  had  disturbed  his  papers. 


csanta's  last  will  and  testament  397 

He  suddenly  caught  sight  of  a  deed.     He  looked  at  it 
closely.     His  mood  changed. 

"What  a  fool  I  have  been.  I  don't  lose  as  much  as 
my  finger-nail.  Here  is  my  young  friend's  signature. 
How  lucky  I  didn't  destroy  this,  or  light  my  pipe  with 
it  He  binds  himself  at  any  time,  subject  to  my  desire, 
to  take  oyer  a  thousand  shares  at  par.  Ah,  xvell  done, 
Csanta  '  You  are  an  old  bird  not  easily  caught  with 
chaff  I  am  sayed,  thanks  to  my  own  sagacity,  to  my 
prudent,  far-seeing  nose  that  smells  danger  ahead. 
This  letter  covers  all  loss.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
stones  may  fall  from  the  sky.     I  am  safe." 

He  folded  the  shares  tenderly,  and  locked  them  and 
the  precious  letter  safely  up  in  his  safe.  He  then  sat 
down  and  wrote  to  his  dear  young  friend  in  Pans. 
Fortunately  he  had  the  address.  He  asked  him  polite- 
ly-seeing how  the  matter  stood-to  send  at  once  some 
accredited  person  to  take  over  the  bonds,  according  to 
their  previous  agreement,  and  to  arrange  in  what  manner 
the  money  should  be  paid.  As  for  the  outstanding  in- 
terest, some  compromise  or  arrangement  could  be  made. 
A  week  passed,  and  no  answer  came  ;  but,  after  all,  it 

is  more  than  a  cat's  jump  from  X to  Pans. 

During  the  week  he  received  twice  every  day,  morn- 
ing and  evening,  a  telegram  from  Spitzhase  pressing 
him  to  part  with  his  shares,  for  every  day  they  were  fall- 
incr  ten  per  cent,  lower.  At  the  end  of  the  week  they 
had  o-one  down  still  more.  The  bears  had  won  the  day. 
Cslmta  never  moved  a  finger.  He  hugged  himself  in 
his  own  safety  :  and  as  for  the  others,  their  shares  might 
cro  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea  for  all  he  cared.  He  had 
no  shares.  They  were  all  KaulmaniVs.  "  Take  them 
away,  and  give  me  back  my  silver !"  This  was  his  cry. 
"  Rogue  !  villain  !  I  have  you  by  the  neck! 


39^  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  accounts  that  he  read  of  the  sudden  collapse  of  the 
company  and  the  ruin  of  the  shareholders  did  not  in  the 
least  disturb  him.  The  losses  of  others  could  not  affect 
him.  On  the  ninth  day,  however,  he  began  to  tremble. 
The  morning's  paper  contained  an  account,  telegraphed 
from  Paris,  of  the  flight  of  the  banker,  Felix  Kaulmann, 
leaving  his  affairs  in  the  uttermost  confusion.  This  was 
succeeded  by  a  second  telegram,  announcing  that  the 
banker,  Kaulmann,  seeing  that  the  officers  of  police 
were  on  his  track,  had  thrown  himself  from  the  win- 
dow of  the  railway-carriage,  and  had  been  killed  instan- 
taneously. 

Csanta  narrowly  missed  an  apoplectic  stroke.  When 
he  came  to  he  telegraphed  to  Spitzhase  to  sell  all  his 
shares  for  what  they  would  fetch. 

Spitzhase  answered  by  return  : 

"Too  late ;  they  are  quoted  at  seve?tfy,  but  this  is  only 
nominal.  There  are  neither  buyers  nor  sellers.  The 
mine  is  gone  ;  the  railway  is  gone  ;  everything  is  gone. 
Why  didn't  you  part  with  them  a  v/eek  ago,  when  I  ad- 
vised you  ?  Now  you  can  put  your  shares  in  the  fire,  and 
cook  chestnuts  at  the  blaze." 

"All  is  over  with  me!"  sobbed  Csanta.  "Let  me 
get  home ;  let  me  lie  down  and  die  !  I  cannot  live  !  I 
shall  not  be  alive  in  three  days  !" 

He  took  leave  of  his  acquaintances ;  he  had  no 
friends.  He  told  them  they  need  not  be  afraid,  he 
would  do  himself  no  injury.  He  was  simply  dying  of 
grief,  just  as  a  man  might  die  of  sickness. 

All  gone  ! 

Some  compassionate  souls  had  pity  on  the  old  man 
and  took  him    home.     If  he  had  been  alone  he   had 


csanta's  last  will  and  testa^ient         399 

never  found  his  own  house.  Once  arrived  there,  he 
insisted  on  going  down  to  his  cellar,  to  see  with  his  own 
eyes  if  it  were  not  some  hideous  dream,  from  which  he 
would  wake  and  find  his  beloved  casks  in  their  old 
places.  When  he  saw  all  were  gone,  he  set  up  a  fearful 
cry,  "  Fool !  fool !  fool  f  and  fell  forward  on  his  face. 

They  carried  him  up-stairs,  tenderly  undressed  him  as 
if  he  were  a  child,  and  put  him  to  bed.  He  shrieked 
for  a  priest,  so  they  fetched  him  one.  He  made  his 
confession,  and  received  the  sacrament. 

His  lawyer  then  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  his  last 
will  was  written  out  and  duly  signed.  He  had  still 
something  to  leave.  There  were  his  houses,  the  whole 
street  front ;  the  church  into  which  no  one  came,  on 
whose  threshold  between  the  stones  the  grass  grew 
thick,  in  whose  court-yard  the  school-boys  played  ball 
on  Thursday  half-holidays. 

The  church,  notwithstanding,  was  endowed  with  a 
priest,  a  verger,  and  a  bell-ringer.  The  priest  should  say 
mass,  the  bell-ringer  should  ring  the  bell,  the  verger 
should  open  the  door  every  day ;  just  as  a  hundred  years 
ago,  when  through  the  open  church  doors  a  stream  of 
men  passed,  with  silver  buttons  on  their  jackets,  and 
Avomen  with  long  silk  veils.  The  old  man  now  dying  is 
the  last  descendant  left  on  this  earth  of  the  old  Greek 
traders.  The  church  shall  remain  standing  in  memory 
of  them. 

The  house  next  door  to  his  own  he  bequeathed  to  the 
widow,  who  was  the  daughter  of  the  last  Greek.  This 
woman  and  he  had  quarrelled  long  ago.  God  alone 
can  decide  the  justice  of  a  quarrel  that  has  to  do  with 
paper  money,  which  to-day  is  worth  a  great  deal  and 
to-morrow  not  a  penny.  Therefore,  he  bequeathed  to 
her  and  her  son   the  heap  of  cursed,  worthless  papers 


400  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

called  shares  in  the  Eondavara  Company,  which  have 
caused  his  unexpected  death.  They  shall  have  these 
papers,  whether  for  good  or  ill. 

After  he  had  made  these  depositions  and  arranged 
his  affairs  his  will  was  sealed  and  inscribed  by  him- 
self. He  divided  among  his  neighbors  and  servants  his 
few  remaining  possessions.  He  called  the  bell-ringer, 
and  enjoined  him  to  toll  the  bell  three  times  every  two 
hours,  and  if  any  one  asked  the  reason  why,  he  should 
answer,  "The  Greek,  Csanta,  is  dead."  Then  he  sent 
every  one  out  of  the  room. 

When  next  morning  they  returned  he  was  dead.  He 
had  died  of  grief,  just  as  an  aged  husband  will  not  sur- 
vive the  loss  of  his  wife  with  whom  he  had  grown  old. 
So  a  man  with  a  strong  will  dies  when  he  has  said  that 
he  can  no  longer  support  life. 


CHAPTER    XXXV 

THE   GROUND    BURNS    UNDER    HIS    FEET 

Peter  Saffran's  Curse  seemed  likely  to  be  fulfillecl : 
"  Upon  this  field  no  grass  shall  grow  for  evermore." 

It  was  true  the  green  grass  grew  still  upon  the  field, 
but  who  could  tell  what  was  seething  underneath,  in  the 
bosom  of  the  earth  ? 

The  directors  of  the  company's  mine  believed  that 
when  they  closed  all  the  entrances  and  openings  to  the 
shafts  and  vaults,  they  had  given,  by  so  doing,  a  check 
to  the  conflagration  ;  by  preventing  the  current  of  the 
outer  air  from  getting  in,  they  felt  sure  the  fire  must  in 
a  short  time  be  extinguished. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  was  the  irremediable  evil 
that  the  supply  of  coal  gradually  diminished ;  even  the 
necessary  material  for  keeping  the  forge  heated  was 
wanting.  They  tried  to  heat  it  with  wood — there  were 
plenty  of  trees  in  the  forest — but  without  coal  the  heat- 
er would  not  work,  and  much  iron  was  lost  in  conse- 
quence. Instead  of  iron  bars,  a  great  quantity  of  "ram- 
mers "  lay  scattered  about.  It  was  soon  patent  that, 
from  all  these  causes  combined,  the  company  were  not 
in  a  condition  to  fulfil  their  contract  for  supplying  the 
railway  contractors  with  iron  rails.  The  guarantee  was 
in  danger,  as  was  also  that  of  the  railway  company,  in 
case  the  railway  could  not  be  opened  for  traffic  at  the 
time  promised  in  their  agreement. 


402  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  Bondavara  Mine  Company  and  Railway  Company 
were,  so  to  speak,  glued  to  one  another  ;  one  could  hardly 
take  a  step  without  dragging  the  other  down  the  danger- 
ous path  on  which  both  were  going  headlong  to  ruin. 

Being  in  such  evil  straits,  the  directors  began  to  look 
for  help  to  the  other  mine.  Coal  they  must  have.  In 
Ivan  Behrend's  colliery  there  must  be  a  large  supply. 
For  a  whole  year  he  had  sold  none.  They  must  buy 
from  him,  even  at  an  advanced  price. 

Raune  also  bethought  himself  of  begging  for  coal  from 
the  same  source.  Surely  no  one  could  refuse  to  oblige 
an  old  friend  and  neighbor. 

His  letter,  however,  came  back  to  him  with  the  seal 
unbroken.  At  this  moment  Raune'  was  terribly  hard 
pressed.  He  resolved  to  wait  upon  Ivan,  and  make  his 
request  in  person. 

His  visit  was  a  short  one.  He  was  in  all  less  than  two 
seconds  in  Ivan's  room,  from  which  the  first  thing  that 
issued  was  his  hat,  which  he  followed  promptly.  After 
this  Ivan's  voice  was  heard. 

"  I  hold  no  conversation  with  spies." 

Raune  wrote  the  directors  a  long  letter,  in  which  he 
said  that  Behrend  was  a  boorish,  selfish  man,  who  was 
determined  to  profit  by  the  misfortune  which  had  hap- 
pened to  the  Bondavara  mine,  and  would  not  give  his 
coal  at  any  price  ;  instead  of  selling,  he  was  using  it  in 
the  manufacture  of  a  quantity  of  iron  rails,  and  speculat- 
ing on  the  chance  that  the  company  would  be  forced  to 
buy  at  any  sum  he  chose  to  ask. 

The  result  of  his  letter  was  very  different  from  what 
he  had  looked  for.  The  railway  directors  wrote  at  once 
to  Ivan,  and  made  him  an  advantageous  offer  for  his  iron 
rails ;  and  if  he  had  asked  fifty  per  cent,  more  they  were 
prepared  to  accede  to  his  demand. 


THE    GROUND    BURNS    UNDER    HIS    FEET  403 

The  profit  for  Ivan's  faithful  workmen  was  a  very  full 
harvest.  The  deserters  to  the  enemies'  camp  now  im- 
plored to  be  taken  on  again ;  they  had  no  work.  But 
they  were  not  received  by  their  former  comrades ;  a  com- 
mittee of  the  men  decided,  without  a  dissentient  voice, 
against  taking  on  one  of  the  deserters,  but  took  on  a  total 
stranger.  This  decision  settled  the  matter,  and  Ivan 
was  forced  to  acknowledge  it  was  just.  The  new  member 
was  bound  to  work  for  a  year  as  a  common  laborer,  and 
the  committee  were  not  to  decide  whether  he  should  be 
admitted  to  the  rights  of  the  existing  colony,  and  entitled 
to  his  share  of  the  profit;  this  should  be  put  to  the  vote. 

]\Ieantime  the  work  was  splendidly  done.  Each  man 
looked  upon  the  mine  as  his  own  property;  there  were 
few  blunders,  and  the  success  was  remarkable ;  neither 
labor  nor  time  was  spared.  Order  was  preserved,  disci- 
pline maintained,  and  there  was  no  necessity  for  harsh 
measures,  nor  for  overseers. 

Under  all  this  fine  weather,  however,  there  lurked 
clouds.  In  the  far  distance  storms  were  gathering,  evi- 
dent to  an  experienced  eye. 

Ivan  noted  the  coming  danger,  but  he  did  not  let  it 
escape  his  lips.  It  could  not  be  averted.  His  mine  was 
threatened  ;  the  fire  that  was  consuming  the  neighboring 
colliery  might  spread  to  his.  This  thought  filled  his 
min4  by  day  and  by  night.  From  the  situation  of  the 
coal-stratum  he  could  draw  the  conclusion  that  the  con- 
flagration must  spread  to  Bondathal.  It  might  take 
years,  but  in  the  end  the  Bondathal  mine  would  share 
the  same  fate  as  its  neighbor  of  Bondavara,  and  be  re- 
duced to  ashes. 

The  earth  has  buried  many  such  wrecks  in  its  bosom. 
But  not  alone  below,  but  on  the  earth  itself  this  Bonda- 
vara misfortune  had  ruined  a  multitude  of  people. 


404 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


In  the  beginning  the  board  of  directors,  who  adminis- 
tered the  affairs  of  the  shareholders,  hit  upon  the  idea 
that  with  the  ready  money  at  their  command  they  would 
buy  up  all  the  shares  in  the  market,  and  in  this  way  serve 
a  double  purpose.  In  the  first  place,  they  would  secure 
for  themselves  the  shares  which  had  been  issued  at  par 
at  a  price  far  below^  par,  and  in  the  next  they  would 
check  any  further  fall. 

The  board,  however,  by  this  manoeuvre  only  effected 
a  more  rapid  smash  ;  the  money  in  the  treasury  dwin- 
dled away  until  at  last  for  the  necessary  expenses  there 
was  nothing  left. 

Prince  Waldemar  knew  how  to  make  use  of  the  daily 
papers.  He  was  always  ready,  and  the  shares  having, 
through  him,  fallen  thirty  per  cent,  lower,  he  was  re- 
solved to  send  them  still  further  down.  The  time  was 
at  hand  when  they  would  stand  at  ;///,  and  then  the 
owner  of  these  miserable  shares  would  be  glad  to  offer  ow^ 
per  cent,  to  any  one  who  would  take  them  off  his  hands. 

It  was  a  wicked  game  to  play.  Thousands  were  made 
beggars.  The  poorer  people  suffered  most — those  who 
a  short  year  ago  came  with  their  little  savings  in  their 
hands,  crying  to  take  shares.  Poor  souls  !  the  high  in- 
terest had  tempted  them  to  their  ruin.  Ah,  it  is  an  old 
story  this,  that  repeats  itself  with  periodic  fidelity;  the 
clerk,  the  old  man,  the  widow,  the  old  maid,  the  go\*ern- 
ess  or  teacher — these  are  the  victims  of  this  cruel  Jug- 
gernaut. The  cashier  who  has  gambled  wdth  his  master's 
money  fills  in  the  picture.  But  there  are  not  wanting 
others  who  suffer,  but  are  not  reduced  altogether  to 
want.  Solid  tradesmen  are  crippled,  people  who  drove 
their  carriages  have  to  walk,  lovers  whose  wedding-day 
was  fixed  have  to  wait,  and  sometimes  pine  away  in 
single  blessedness.     Woe  !  woe  !  on  every  side. 


THE    GROUND    BURNS    UNDER    HIS    FEET  405 

But  the  Bondavara  catastrophe  had  ruined  not  alone 
poor  and  well-to-do  people  ;  it  had  dragged  down  in  its 
fall  the  high  and  powerful  family  of  Bondavary,  one  of 
the  most  ancient  in  Hungary.  The  Marquis  Salista  had 
learned  a  severe  lesson  ;  he  found  that  you  cannot  take 
away  the  centrepiece  of  a  building  without  endangering 
the  whole  edifice.  The  sequestration  of  the  prmce's 
property  had  drawn  the  whole  body  of  creditors  upon 
him.  And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  the  large  property  of 
a  great  nobleman,  a  reigning  prince,  fell  under  the  ad- 
ministration of  his  creditors;  the  heirs  had  really  burned 
the  ground  under  their  own  feet. 

If  the  stewards  and  agents  in  the  prince's  time  had 
been  thieves,  the  administration  of  the  property  by  the 
creditors  was  the  very  realization  of  plunder  on  all  sides. 

The  result  was  disastrous  so  far  as  the  Countess  Theu- 
delinde  was  in  question  ;  there  was  no  one  responsible, 
so  it  appeared,  for  her  forty  thousand  pounds.  All  the 
family  charges  and  mortgages  came  first  on  the  list  of 
payments.     Let  her  grasp  hers— if  she  could. 

The  one  who  suffered  most  was  the  Countess  Angela. 
Her  husband,  Marquis  Salista,  had  from  the  first  lived 
in  the  extravagant  manner  befitting  a  man  who  has  come 
into  a  fortune  of  twenty  millions.  It  was  impossible  to 
induce  him  to  change  his  ideas.  This  led  to  sharp  con- 
flicts between  the  married  pair. 

On  the  other  side,  Angela  showed  him  plainly  that  she 
had  married  him  not  from  liking,  but  out  of  pique. 

The  marquis  knew  it— and  so  did  Ivan  ;  but  he  had 
something  else  to  think  of.  The  ground  was  burning 
under  his  feet. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI 
child's  play 

The  concert  season  was  in  full  swing  when  the  Be- 
lenyis  received  the  news  that  Csanta  was  dead  and  had 
bequeathed  to  them  their  former  house.  If  Arpad  had 
been  engaged  to  play  a  quartet  with  Beethoven,  Mozart, 
and  Haydn  he  would  have  thrown  up  his  engagement 
and  flown  back  with  railway  speed  to  his  old  home. 
His  mother  was  just  as  eager  to  be  gone  as  he  was.  Not 
a  day  did  they  stay  ;  they  were  off  the  very  same  evening. 

On  their  arrival   at  X the   magistrate  unlocked 

the  door  of  their  old  home  and  gave  Madame  Belenyi 
possession.  Everything  was  exactly  as  they  had  left  it, 
only  the  dust  of  years  covered  all  the  pretty  things. 

Arpad's  first  thought  was  to  run  down  to  the  garden. 
The  magistrate,  however,  detained  him.  He  had  an- 
other legacy  to  make  over  to  him,  a  large  iron  case 
fastened  with  three  iron  locks.  It  contained  the  Bonda- 
vara  shares. 

"  The  devil  take  his  shares !"  cried  Arpad,  laughing. 
"Unluckily  it  is  summer,  so  we  don't  want  to  make  a 
fire." 

"They  are  down  to  nothing,"  said  the  magistrate. 
"They  are  quoted  to-day  at  ten  guldens.  They  killed 
poor  Csanta." 

They  had  to  take  the  shares  all  the  same.  You  must 
not  look  a  gift-horse  in  the  mouth. 


CHILD'S    PLAY 


407 


Arpad  slipped  out  of  the  room  and  ran  down  to  the 
garden.  The  fruit-trees  were  untouched,  and  all  in  full 
bloom.  The  cherry-tree  was  one  mass  of  rosy  blossom. 
He  remembered  well  how  he  daren't  touch  a  blossom 
under  pain  of  a  good  whipping.  And  the  forget-me-nots 
on  the  bank  of  the  stream,  which  flowed  past  the  end  of 
the  garden,  and  the  May  bells  were  ringing  in  a  chorus, 
to  which  no  one  listened. 

Ev^erything  was  just  as  it  had  been,  only  grown.  The 
trees  had  such  long  branches  that  they  were  entangled 
with  those  on  the  opposite  shore. 

He  laid  himself  down  in  the  green  grass,  all  dotted 
over  with  yellow  cowslips.  No  one  could  beat  him  now. 
He  might  waste  his  time  and  drink  his  fill  of  lazy  enjoy- 
ment. Fame,  the  chatter  of  the  newspapers  over  his 
sudden  disappearance,  the  ladies  who  would  regret  him 
— what  were  they  all  in  comparison  with  this }  In  a 
hiding-place  on  the  river-bank  he  sought  for  the  little 
flute  he  had  secretly  made  in  those  old  days.  To  his 
great  joy  it  was  there,  just  as  he  had  left  it. 

Arpad  took  from  his  pocket  a  newspaper  full  of  his 
Parisian  triumphs,  an  announcement  of  his  next  appear- 
ance. Where  is  Paris  now  ?  Out  of  the  sheet  he  made 
a  large  boat  with  sails,  that  it  might  take  a  cargo  on 
board.  He  pulled  a  bunch  of  the  cherry  blossom  ;  he 
set  the  tiny  vessel  on  the  water,  and  while  it  danced 
over  the  little  bubbles  in  the  stream  he  laid  down  again 
among  the  forget-me-nots  and  played  upon  his  flute  the 
national  air^  "  Repiilj  fecskem." 

At  the  sound  of  the  flute  another  child  appeared.  She 
came  from  the  house  opposite  :  a  young  girl  about  fif- 
teen. She  had  a  round,  fair,  laughing  face  and  beauti- 
ful blue  eyes.  Timidly,  like  a  frightened  fawn,  she 
made  a  few  steps,  then  stopped  and  listened.     By-and- 


408  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

by  she  drew  nearer,  then  stood  still  again.  She  did  not 
see  the  flute  -  player ;  she  noticed  nothing  but  his  flute 
and  his  boat  with  the  cherry  blossoms. 

The  girl  had  come  quite  close  to  the  bank  without 
Arpad  having  seen  her  approach.  He  was  made  aware 
of  her  presence  by  hearing  her  laugh.  The  laugh  of  a 
child  is  as  clear  as  a  bell.     Arpad  looked  up,  surprised. 

"Ah,  is  that  you,  Sophie?  How  pretty  you  have 
grown  !     I  beg  you  will  send  me  back  my  boat." 

Sophie  did  not  want  to  be  asked  twice.  She  held  up 
her  frock  with  one  hand,  tucked  it  between  her  knees, 
and  after  she  had  replaced  the  red  cherry  blossoms  by 
some  white  flowers,  she  gave  the  little  boat  such  a  hearty 
shove  that  it  came  back  to  the  opposite  side.  Then  the 
game  began  again.     It  was  so  amusing ! 

Madame  Belenyi  saw  the  pair  from  the  window.  She 
didn't  disturb  them,  but  let  them  amuse  themselves  un- 
til the  sun  went  down  and  the  air  began  to  get  chill. 
Then  the  most  prudent  of  the  two  children — it  was  the 
girl,  no  doubt  —  suggested  to  the  other  that  the  grass 
was  wet  with  dew,  and  that  it  would  be  well  to  go  back 
to  the  house. 

Arpad  took  his  boat  out  of  the  water,  and  put  it  and 
the  flute  back  in  their  hiding-place,  and  returned  to  his 
mother. 

Madame  Belenyi  did  not  scold  him.  She  did  not, 
however,  kiss  him  on  his  forehead,  as  she  was  wont  to 
do.  She  showed  him  all  she  had  done  to  settle  the 
house  while  he  had  been  amusing  himself  in  the  garden. 

Arpad  was  very  much  pleased  to  find  it  so  comfortable. 

"  Mother,"  he  said,  "  we  will  live  here  always." 

"  I  don't  object  to  our  living  here,  Arpad ;  only  there 
is  one  condition.  You  must  marry  a  good  girl,  and 
bring  her  here  to  help  me." 


CHILD  S    PLAY  409 

"  I,  mother  ?"  returned  Arpad,  half  pleased  and  yet 
astonished. 

"  Yes,  5^ou.  Why  not  ?  You  are  a  young  man.  I  can- 
not look  after  you  always." 

Arpad  laughed  again.  "  So,  because  I  have  grown  a 
young  man,  and  that  you  cannot  keep  me  any  longer  at 
your  apron-string,  I  must  take  a  wife  who  will  keep  me 
in  better  order  than  you  can.     Is  that  it,  mother.^" 

"  My  son,  it  is  in  the  natural  order,"  returned  Madame 
Belenyi,  gravely,  and  as  if  there  were  no  other  course  for 
a  young  man  but  to  have  either  a  mother  or  a  wife  to 
look  after  him.  It  did  not  enter  into  her  imagination 
that  he  could  look  after  himself. 

"  Sooner  or  later  I  shall  obey  5'-our  wishes ;  but  just 
now,  as  we  have  got  a  house,  I  shall  have  enough  to  do 
to  provide  the  house -keeping,  and  I  could  not  take  a 
wife  with  me  here  and  there  when  I  have  to  fulfil  my 
professional  engagements.  For  this  sort  of  Bohemian 
life,  vagabondizing  from  Paris  to  London,  Petersburg 
to  Vienna,  is  a  bad  thing  for  a  woman,  whether  she  goes 
with  her  husband  or  is  left  behind." 

"  But  we  have  something  to  live  on,  Arpad.  I  have 
been  very  lucky  with  your  earnings,  and  there  is  a  nice 
nest-egg  in  the  bank.  Besides,  there  are  the  shares. 
Don't  laugh,  you  silly  boy  !  Although  they  are  only 
worth  ten  gulden,  yet  there  are  a  thousand  of  them.  If 
we  realize  them,  that  would  be  ten  thousand  gulden.  In 
a  small  town  like  this  that  sum  would  be  a  fortune,  and 
with  it  you  need  not  scruple  to  take  a  wife." 

"  Mamma,  you  don't  understand  about  these  shares. 
One  could  easily  be  realized,  but  if  the  next  day  I  were 
to  go  to  the  same  place  with  another  for  sale  they  would 
kick  me  out.  Any  one  who  would  offer  a  thousand  Bon- 
davara  shares  in  the  money-market  would  be  sent  to  the 


41 0  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

mad-house.  Put  the  shares  away  with  those  other  im- 
portant papers  Csanta  gave  you,  and,  if  you  like,  treas- 
ure the  hope  that  one  day  they  may  be  worth  as  much 
as  the  paper  they  are  printed  on." 

"  Well,  stranger  things  have  happened.  Did  you  ever 
think  we  would  come  back  to  this  house  ?  I  am  very 
sorry  I  did  not  keep  the  other  papers.  I  burned  them. 
Who  knows  what  luck  we  may  have  with  those  bonds? 
If,  one  day,  they  rise  again  to  par,  we  shall  realize  twice 
two  hundred  thousand  gulden — " 

"I  don't  count  on  such  strokes  of  luck  as  that,  mam- 
ma. The  worst  compliment  Providence  can  pay  a  man 
is  to  let  him  win  in  a  lottery.  It  is  just  as  if  God  said  to 
him,  'You  ass!  I  cannot  keep  you  in  any  other  man- 
ner.' God  would  not  allow  a  man  who  has  any  intellect 
to  win  in  a  lottery.  To  such  a  one  he  would  say,  '  Wilt 
thou  cease  to  beg  alms  of  Me  in  such  a  shameless  man- 
ner? Is  it  not  sufficient  that  I  have  endowed  thee  with 
talent  ?  My  consolation  prizes  are  reserved  for  the 
dunderheads.'  "  Then  he  added,  "  Mother,  don't  be 
afraid,  we  shall  live  from  my  art.  Wait  a  little  and  you 
shall  see;  only  give  me  time.  Meantime  I  shall  buy  for 
the  little  girl  a  doll  with  a  china  head  as  a  plaything. 
You  must  take  care  of  me  for  a  little  longer." 

At  these  words  the  widow  embraced  her  boy  tenderly. 
She  was  happy ;  but  that  evening  Arpad,  when  it  was 
moonlight,  went  out  and  sat  under  the  weeping-willow 
and  played  a  melancholy  air  on  his  flute.  Sometimes 
he  stopped  to  listen  to  a  soft  silvery  voice  singing  a  na- 
tional air  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream.  The  singer, 
however,  when  she  heard  the  flute  no  more,  knew  that 
he  was  listening,  and  stopped  her  song.  It  is  so  sweet 
to  be  young ! 


CHAPTER    XXXVII 

EUREKA 

Ivan's  fears  as  to  the  safety  of  his  own  colliery  were 
growing  day  by  day.  One  morning  he  found  that  the 
amount  of  hydrogen  was  scarcely  perceptible;  still  there 
was  water  in  the  pit.  This  discovery  made  him  thought- 
ful ;  he  could  not  understand  it.  He  descended  into 
the  cavern  where  the  pond  was.  Not  one  drop  of 
water ! 

Ivan  remained  for  three  hours,  watching  anxiously  to 
see  would  the  water  rise  ;  but  none  came. 

At  the  end  of  three  hours  he  was  relieved  by  the  men, 
and  it  was  then  arranged  that  during  the  night  they 
would  take  turns  in  watching  the  tank.  As  soon  as  the 
water  began  to  rise  they  were  to  call  him.  Ivan  went 
home,  lay  down,  and  fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  from  which 
he  did  not  awake  until  the  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens. 
He  wondered  that  no  one  had  called  him,  as  had  been 
agreed. 

It  might  be  that  the  men  had  also  been  overcome  by 
sleep.  Poor  wretches,  they  also  were  exhausted.  He 
hastened  to  the  pit.  The  men  told  him  they  had 
watched  all  night,  but  there  had  been  no  sign  of  water 
in  the  tank.  He  waited  patiently  for  twenty-four  hours. 
Not  a  sign  of  water  ! 

Ivan  thought  he  could  explain  the  absence  of  the 
water  by  the  theory  of  the  periodic  springs — a  theory 


412  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

too  complicated  to  enter  upon  here.  It  is  sufficient  to 
say  that  the  water-supply  of  the  mine  was  worked  by 
the  pressure  of  the  air  upon  these  springs.  If  the  water 
did  not  now  return,  it  would  be  attributable  to  one  of 
two  causes  :  either  the  pipe  which  conducted  the  water 
from  the  larger  basin  had  suddenly  closed,  and  was  no 
longer  subject  to  atmospherical  pressure,  on  which  it 
depended  to  keep  open  ;  or  some  split  or  crevice  had 
come  in  the  stone  masonry  which  protected  the  basins, 
and  the  force  of  the  air  had  driven  the  water  down 
farther  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  where,  no  doubt, 
another  basin  was  ready  for  its  reception.  We  will  re- 
member that  from  the  first  Ivan  had  the  idea  that  some 
such  reservoir  existed.  But  where?  —  that  was  the 
problem ;  and  if  the  reservoirs  were  not  found,  what 
then  ? 

The  cavern  where  Ivan  stood  was  empty.  The  black 
portals  which  guarded  the  subterranean  kingdom  of 
death  stood  open  to  him.  He  could  enter  the  labyrinth; 
he  could  discover  what  he  had  long  sought,  the  com- 
munication between  the  upper  and  the  lower  water 
basins.  One  difficulty  lay  in  his  way.  He  should  take 
a  workman  with  him.     He  called  the  old  miner,  Paul. 

"  Paul,  how  old  are  you  ?" 

"  Sixty-nine." 

"  You  would  like,  no  doubt,  to  complete  your  seven- 
tieth year." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  the  gold  wedding  of  this  pit. 
Next  year  it  will  be  just  fifty  years  since  it  was  opened." 

"  And  if  you  die  before  then  ?" 

"  I  should  say,  '  The  name  of  the  Lord  be  blessed.'  " 

"  Are  your  sons  grown  to  man's  estate  .'*" 

"My  grandson  is  able  to  keep  himself." 

"  Would  you  be  ready  to  accompany  me  on  a  dangerous 


EUREKA  4^3 


expedition— one  where  the  chances  are  we  might  never 

return?"' 

"  I  think  I  have  run  that  chance  before  now." 
"You  must  understand,  Paul,  the  whole  risk  before 
you  agree.     We   are  going  to  look  for  the  water   that 
has  left  the  tank.     It  is  a  matter  of  life  and  death  to 
every  one  of  us,  and,  therefore,  I  think  God  will  help  us ; 
but  'it  may  not  be   so.     The  Almighty  may  say,  '  Why 
should  you  mere  worms  of  the  earth  dare  to  interfere 
between  me  and  the  sentence  I  have  passed  against  you 
and  yours?     I  did  not  listen  to  the  entreaties  of  Lot, 
and  now  the   Dead   Sea   covers   the   ruins   of  the   city. 
You  men  of  Bondathal  are  not  better  than  the  men  of 
Gomorrah.'     Do    you    understand    me?     I    have   often 
sought  for  the  source  of  the  spring  through  the  narrow 
winding  paths  of  this  cavern.     These  windings  are  so 
narrow^  that  one  must  sometimes  press  through  them  by 
mere    force,    at    other    times    creep    along   upon    one's 
stomach.     Great  abysses  yawn   under  the   feet;   a  fall 
down  one  of  these  would  be  fatal ;  we  will  have  to  cling 
to   the  wall   as   we  creep  along.     Again,   we  will   pass 
through  stinking  sewers,  up  to  our  elbows  in  putrid  iilth. 
All  these  clefts  and  fissures  have  been  made  some  time- 
God  knows  when— by  an  earthquake  which  has  caused 
the   uprooting    of   the   coal   stratum.     Now  it   is    quite 
possible  that  this  last  explosion  has  closed  again  many 
of  these  clefts  and  opened  others.     If  it  has  happened, 
as   I   surmise,  that  the  aperture   has  been   shut  which 
communicated  between  the  pit  beneath  us  and  the  one 
above— if  this  has  taken  place,  then  we  have  a  tank  full 
of  water  over  our  heads.     If  we,  in  our  search  through 
the  bowels  of  the  earth,  come  upon  this  aperture,  and 
accidentally  break  the  smallest   hole,  not  the  size  of  a 
pin's  point,  the  water  in  the  basin  over  our  heads  will 


414  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

burst  through  and  annihilate  us  ;  if  we  hear  it  roaring 
we  are  already  lost.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  may  be 
that  the  explosion  caused  a  rent  in  the  upper  cleft,  and 
if  so  the  water  has  rushed  through  it  to  the  lower  basin 
under  our  feet.  What  we  have  to  do,  whether  we  die 
in  the  search  or  not,  is  to  find  out  where  the  water  is." 

"  I  have  no  idea  what  you  mean ;  all  I  know  is  that  I 
am  ready  to  go  with  you." 

"  Then  go  home  and  take  leave  of  your  family,  as  if 
you  were  going  a  long  journey.  Go  to  your  priest  and 
make  your  peace  with  God.  Then  come  back,  and  tell 
no  one  where  we  are  froino-." 

Ivan  now  made  his  own  preparations.  From  this  ad- 
venture he  might  never  return.  He  made  his  will.  He 
bequeathed  his  mine  to  his  workmen,  his  money  to 
Paul's  family.  This  was  an  act  of  justice.  If  the  old 
man  were  killed,  it  was  in  a  measure  his,  Ivan's,  doing. 
When  this  was  all  done  he  went  out  and  took  hts 
leave  of  light  and  air  before  going  into  the  blackness  of 
everlasting  night.  It  was  well  under  the  free  air  of 
heaven.  The  sky  might  be  bluer  elsewhere,  the  grass 
greener  ;  still,  it  was  not  eternal  darkness. 

The  post  brought  him  a  letter.  It  was  from  Arpad 
Belenyi.  It  told  him  all  that  we  already  know— the  fall 
of  Kaulmann,  the  disappearance  of  Eveline,  whom  every 
one  thought  had  drowned  herself.  Ivan's  heart  was 
stirred  by  deep  sorrow.  The  sky  lost  its  brightness  ; 
the  meadow  was  no  longer  green  ;  the  blackness  of  the 
pit  would  be  welcome  to  him.  This  news  acted  upon 
him  as  a  tonic;  he  felt  braced;  his  fears  vanished. 
Life  was  now  more  worthless  than  before. 

He  set  about  the  necessary  preparations  with  calm- 
ness. He  collected  the  instruments  which  would  be 
needed   for  this    strange    search— the    levelling  instru- 


EUREKA  415 

ment,  the  circuniferentor,  the  plumb-line.  He  put  them 
in  a  bag,  which  he  tied  round  his  neck.  Paul  carried 
the  pick,  the  iron  rod,  and  a  strong  cord. 

With  this  equipment  they  descended  into  the  cavern, 
and  vanished  through  the  windings  of  the  water-course. 
After  six  hours  they  reappeared.  This  went  on  day 
after  day. 

Ivan  took  the  measurements  of  all  the  windings  of 
the  labyrinth,  and  when  he  was  at  home  compared  them 
carefully.  It  took  him  hours.  At  night  he  retired  into 
his  laboratory,  heated  deadly  gases  in  his  retorts,  and 
forced  the  mysterious  elements  to  surrender  their  long- 
concealed  secrets.  He  fought  with  demons  who  refused 
to  obey  him. 

"  Which  of  you  is  the  spirit  that  can  extinguish  fire  ? 
Appear !  appear !  Not  with  Alpha  and  Omega,  not 
with  Solomon's  Seal,  not  in  the  name  of  Abraxas  and 
Mithras  do  I  conjure  you,  but  by  the  force  of  all-power- 
ful science  I  order  you  appear  !" 

But  no  spirit  appeared. 

This  double  battle,  the  one  under  the  earth,  the  one 
in  the  air  above  it,  this  fight  with  the  two  great  demons 
of  the  world's  creation,  went  on  day  by  day,  in  daylight 
and  darkness.      Ivan  had  no  rest. 

One  morning  he  was  told  that  the  water  in  the  castle 
well  was  hot,  and  it  had  a  decided  taste  of  sulphur.  He 
began  now  to  despair.  The  subterranean  conflagration 
was  closing  round  him  sooner  than  he  had  looked  for 
it.  The  situation  was  lost ;  one  year,  and  the  whole 
place  would  be  consumed. 

Raune,  when  this  fact  became  known,  threw  up  his 
appointment  and  openly  took  service  with  Prince  W^alde- 
mar.  He  was  commissioned  by  his  employer  to  write 
— as   an  authentic  witness — the  accounts  of  the  catas- 


4l6  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

trophe,  which  appeared  constantly  in  the  Vienna  pa- 
pers. 

Ivan  threw  himself  with  the  energy  of  despair  into 
the  search  ;  he  penetrated  farther  into  the  subterranean 
labyrinth.  Paul  was  like  a  ghost;  his  very  soul  was 
steeped  in  terror,  but  he  held  bravely  to  his  master. 

One  day,  amidst  the  confusion  of  the  different  wind- 
ing passages  in  the  rock,  they  came  to  a  place  out  of  which 
there  seemed  to  be  no  exit.  They  struck  the  wall.  It 
returned  a  hollow  sound,  so  that  they  drew  the  conclu- 
sion that  on  the  other  side  there  was  a  large  cavern,  or 
space  of  some  sort.  The  tumbled  masses  of  slate- 
stratum  fallen  over  one  another  was  a  proof  that  the 
blockade  had  been  recently  made. 

"We  must  clear  a  passage  here,"  said  Ivan,  taking 
the  pick  in  his  hand. 

Paul  cow^ered  down,  clinging  to  the  wall.  He  trem- 
bled at  every  blow^  of  the  pick  given  by  the  vigorous 
arm  of  Ivan,  who  worked  with  terrible  earnestness.  So 
might  a  despairing  soul  beat  against  the  gates  of  hell 
and  summon  the  devil  to  single  combat. 

At  last  the  pick  made  a  small  hole,  through  which 
Ivan  passed  the  iron  rod,  and  raised  a  wliole  mass  of 
slates. 

"Now,  if  the  water  is  overhead  the  crack  of  doom 
has  come." 

The  old  man  crossed  himself,  and  recommended  his 
soul  to  God. 

Ivan,  however,  shouted  with  all  the  joy  of  a  dis- 
coverer :  "  Do  you  hear  ?  The  rubbish  as  it  falls 
makes  a  splash.  The  lower  basin  I  am  in  search  of  is 
here,  underneath  us !" 

But  what  if  the  one  above  is  full  ?  They  had  still  to 
wait  while  they  counted  a  hundred  beats  of  the  pulse. 


EUREKA  417 

Never  was  a  pulse  felt  under  such  terrible  circum- 
stances, not  even  when  Ivan  had  gone  down  into  the 
burning  mine.  Not  a  sound  was  heard.  In  the  bosom 
of  the  earth  all  is  quiet.  Ivan  was  trembling  with  joy- 
ful excitement. 

"Found  at  last !"  he  cried.  "Now  bind  the  cord 
round  me,  and  lower  me  into  the  well  cavern." 

It  was  done.  The  old  miner,  as  he  held  the  rope, 
prayed  fervently  to  the  Blessed  Mother  that  she  would 
forgive  this  heretic,  who  did  not  know  what  he  was  do- 
ing.    Meantime  the  lamp  sank  deeper  and  deeper. 

Suddenly  Ivan  cried  out,  "  Pull  me  up  !" 

His  old  comrade  drew  him  slowly  out  of  the  depths 
of  the  earth.  As  he  held  out  his  hand  to  help  him, 
Ivan  suddenly  threw  his  arms  round  him  and  embraced 
him. 

"We  have  reached  our  goal,"  he  said.  "The  plumb- 
line  shows  a  monstrous  depth  of  water." 

Paul's  brain  began  to  clear.  For  the  first  time  he  had 
a  dim  idea  of  the  aims  of  their  labors. 

"  Now  let  us  get  into  daylight." 

As  soon  as  Ivan  got  out  of  the  pit  he  ran  home  as 
fast  as  he  could.  He  compared  his  measurements,  and 
w^as  well  content  with  the  result.  At  night  he  shut  him- 
self in  his  laboratory.  He  was  flushed  with  triumph  ; 
another  victory  would  be  his.  He  would  also  conquer 
the  demon  that  had  hitherto  resisted  his  will.  He  had 
the  proud  feeling  of  a  victorious  general  who  demands 
the  last  stronghold  to  surrender. 

"  I  have  already  conquered,"  he  said.  "  You  are  the 
next  to  submit.  God  sometimes  lends  to  his  creature 
immortal  gifts,  moments  of  creative  power,  when  the  in- 
finite takes,  as  it  were,  shape,  and  the  finite  cries  to  the 
infinite,  '  Eureka  !'  " 
27 


4l8  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

Ivan  poured  out  ten  drops  of  the  water  he  had 
brought  from  the  well.  There  was  not  more  than  w^ould 
be  held  in  the  point  of  a  pen.  The  laboratory  became 
suddenly  dark.  The  strong  heat  of  the  burning  coal  in 
the  oven  went  out  as  if  by  magic.  All  was  dark ;  black 
as  night.  This  darkness  was  the  light  for  which  Ivan 
had  been  seeking. 

"  I  have  found  it !"  he  cried  aloud.  "  I  have  found 
it !"  he  cried  to  his  workmen,  among  whom  he  rushed, 
half  undressed,  with  his  hat  off,  like  a  lunatic. 

They  did  not  know  what  he  had  found,  but  they  felt 
certain  the  discovery  which  was  considered  so  impor- 
tant by  their  guide  and  master  must  be  a  matter  of  re- 
joicing, in  proof  of  which  the  miners  cheered  lustily. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII 

AT    PAR 

The  devil's  comedy  was  being  played  daily  on  the 
stock-exchange.  The  Bondavara  Company's  shares,  the 
Bondavara  Railway  shares  were  tossed  here  and  there, 
from  one  hand  to  another.  The  tragedy  had  turned  to 
comedy — that  is,  for  some  people,  who  found  the  game 
very  humorous.  The  very  word  Bondavara  made  the 
stockbrokers  laugh.  When  it  happened  that  some  fool 
bought  a  share,  no  one  could  help  laughing.  The  shares, 
in  fact,  were  given  in  exchange  for  anything  of  little 
value — for  instance,  as  make-weight  with  an  old  um- 
brella for  a  new  one.  They  were  also  presented  to 
charitable  institutions. 

One  witty  man  went  to  a  fancy  ball  in  a  coat  made  of 
the  shares.  This  conceit  was  thought  diverting.  The  ex- 
change, however,  was  still  the  field  where  a  desultory 
fight  was  kept  up  by  the  shareholders.  These  poor 
wretches  fought  for  the  last  flicker  of  the  lamp,  which 
the  bears  wanted  to  extinguish  altogether. 

Prince  Waldemar,  the  leader  of  the  conspiracy,  forced 
the  shares  day  by  day  lower  and  lower.  At  last  they  fell 
to  one  and  a  half  per  cent.,  then  to  one  and  a  quarter,  and 
this  quarter  was  to  go  lower,  the  prince  wanting  to  banish 
the  shares  from  the  quotation  list.  The  owners  were 
making  a  fight  to  prevent  this — an  ineffectual  one,  it 
seemed  to  be.     They  were  almost  agreed  to  give  up  the 


420  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

fight  as  a  forlorn  hope.  How  could  they  make  head 
against  such  odds  ?  The  day  upon  which  Raune"s  re- 
port was  in  the  newspapers  they  resolved  to  lay  down 
their  arms ;  there  seemed  no  good  in  protracting  the 
struggle.  The  report  in  question  was  the  one  which 
stated  what  was  the  nature  of  the  elements  that,  since 
the  fire  in  the  Bondavara  mine,  had  been  found  mixed 
with  the  water  on  the  lake  of  the  castle  ;  this  caused  a 
great  "sensation,"  and  was  the  last  straw  upon  the  back 
of  the  unfortunate  shareholders. 

Prince  Waldemar  had  the  news  proclaimed  on  'change 
that  on  the  last  day  of  the  month  he  would  sell  his  Bon- 
davara Company  shares  at  ten  florins.  Some  people  took 
up  the  gauntlet  he  had  thrown  down.  These  were  share- 
holders who  knew  that  they  would  lose  by  taking  this 
wager,  but  at  the  same  time  hoped  by  this  stroke  of  pol- 
icy to  prevent  the  shares  from  disappearing  altogether 
from  the  share  list.  If,  therefore,  at  the  end  of  the 
month  the  shares  went  down  to  six  gulden,  they  must 
pay  the  other  side  twenty  thousand  gulden  difference  ;  if 
the  shares  went  up,  the  other  side  must  do  the  same. 

About  noon  a  broker  came  to  the  bank,  and  said,  loud 
enough  for  all  bystanders  to  hear,  that  a  gentleman  was 
present  who  would  take  five  hundred  Bondavara  shares 
at  par. 

If  some  one  had  struck  a  hammer  upon  the  open  keys 
of  a  piano  no  greater  whir  and  whiz  could  have  been 
heard  than  now  ran  through  the  hall.  Screams  of  laugh- 
ter, exclamations  of  astonishment,  howls  of  joy,  curses, 
and  ejaculations  of  incredulity  were  raised  in  every  cor- 
ner. Who  is  he?  Is  he  a  lunatic?  At  par !  Bonda- 
vara shares  !     Where  is  the  man  ? 

The  broker  pointed  him  out.  He  was  evidently  a 
provincial  gentleman,  very  unassuming  in  his  appearance. 


AT    PAR  421 

He  was  leaning  against  a  pillar,  calmly  surveying  the 
Olympian  games. 

"  He  is  evidently  a  silly  knave  who  wants  to  have  a 
joke,"  scoffed  Prince  Waldemar.  "  Go  to  him,"  he  went 
on  to  the  agent,  "and  ask  him  for  his  name.  We  must 
know  what  is  the  name  of  any  one  who  treats  with  us.'' 

The  broker  returned  in  a  few  minutes  with  the  news 
that  the  gentleman  gave  his  name  as  a  Hundred  Thou- 
sand Gulden,  saying  that  money  was  the  best  surname. 
He  showed  his  hands  full  of  bank-notes,  which  he  re- 
ceived from  the  stranger. 

"Who  sells  five  hundred  Bondavara  shares  at  par?" 

This  cry  caused  a  revolution  on  'change.  Tranquillity 
was  at  an  end ;  tumult  took  its  place ;  uproar  and  con- 
fusion reigned.  Credulous  and  incredulous  people  sur- 
rounded the  stranger ;  they  pressed  upon  him,  over- 
whelming him  with  questions,  stretching  over  one  another 
to  thrust  their  note-books  into  his  hands.  The  unknown 
met  all  this  noise  with  cool  indifference,  merely  pointing 
out  to  his  broker  the  crowd  who  \vere  ready  to  do  busi- 
ness with  him. 

Prince  Waldemar  now  made  his  w^iy  through  the  mob 
to  where  the  new-comer  stood.  With  the  most  refined 
impertinence  he  drew^  the  brim  of  his  hat  over  his  eyes 
and  stuck  his  hand  into  his  w-aistcoat  pockets  as  he  sur- 
veyed the  other. 

"  Sir,  your  appearance  has  caused  a  sudden  revolu- 
tion.    May  I  ask  your  name  ?" 

"  My  name  is  Ivan  Behrend,"  returned  the  stranger, 
without  changing  his  negligent  attitude. 

"  Ah,"  said  the  prince,  suddenly  taking  off  his  hat  and 
bowing  low.  "  I  have  had  the  honor  of  hearing  of  you. 
Are  you  not  the  renowned  pistol-shot,  who  can  shoot  a 
cigar  out  of  a  man's  mouth .?     1  am  a  nobody  in  com- 


422  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

parison  ;  I  am  only  Prince  Waldemar  Sondersheim.  1 
cannot  shoot  as  you  do.  But  let  us  talk  sensibly.  You 
want  to  buy  Bondavara  shares  at  par  ?  Have  you  inher- 
ited suddenly  the  fortune  of  an  Indian  nabob,  who  made 
it  a  condition  that  you  should  buy  the  shares  at  par  V 

"  No.    I  buy  them  because  they  are  worth  that  price." 

"  Don't  you  know  that  the  Bondavara  mine  is  on  fire  ?" 

"  I  happen  to  own  the  adjoining  one,  therefore  I  am 
quite  aware  that  such  is  the  fact." 

"  Then  your  mine  will  be  on  fire  next." 

"Not  so.  I  extinguished  the  fire  in  mine  a  fortnight 
ago." 

At  these  words  the  noise  rose  to  a  regular  tumult;  the 
shareholders  pressed  round  Ivan,  and  nearly  suffocated 
him.  The  man  is  there  who  can  extinguish  the  fire.  The 
mine  will  soon  be  again  in  working  order.  Bondavara 
stands  once  more  at  par. 

The  bears  had  to  retire.  The  joyful  shareholders  sur- 
rounded Ivan  and  carried  him  in  triumph  out  of  the  hall. 

That  same  evening  a  large  meeting  was  held,  at  which 
Ivan,  before  an  enormous  audience,  filling  the  room  to 
suffocation,  declared  authoritatively  that  he  had  an  in- 
fallible plan,  which  had,  in  fact,  been  tried  on  the  Bon- 
davara mine,  and  had  put  out  the  conflagration.  He 
invited  every  one  present  to  see  the  experiment  tested 
next  day  in  the  open  air,  when  it  would  be  distinctly 
proved  that  his  words  were  no  idle  boast. 

The  following  morning,  in  presence  of  a  large  crowd, 
he  fulfilled  his  promise,  succeeding  admirably  in  the 
demonstration.  A  funeral  pile  of  coal  and  turf,  over 
which  "petroleum  had  been  poured,  was  set  fire  to,  and 
when  blazing  to  its  greatest  height  was  put  out  in  a  few 
minutes  by  some  drops  from  a  small  bottle. 

The  jubilant  public  conducted  Ivan  back  to  the  town 


AT    PAR  423 

in  triumph,  and  at  the  next  general  meeting  of  share- 
holders it  was  resolved  to  offer  him  a  remuneration  of 
six  hundred  thousand  gulden  if  he  would  undertake  to 
bring  the  Bondavara  mine  into  working  order. 

There  were  not  wanting,  however,  plenty  of  opponents. 
Foremost  there  was  Prince  Waldemar,  who  possessed 
the  largest  proportion  of  shares,  and  who,  nevertheless, 
offered  the  most  determined  opposition.  He  did  every- 
thing to  embarrass  and  obstruct  Ivan's  scientific  proposi- 
tions. 

"  I  grant,"  he  said,  "that  you  may  be  able  to  put  out 
with  one  bucket  of  fluid  six  cubit  feet  of  burning  coals; 
but  consider  for  a  moment  that  in  the  Bondavara  pit, 
reckoning  from  the  place  where  the  explosion  took  place 
to  the  castle,  there  must  be  at  least  sixty  thousand  cubit 
feet  of  burning  stratum.  You  must  have,  to  meet  this, 
ten  thousand  buckets  of  fluid  ready  to  shoot  over  the 
mass.  What  machine  have  you  that  would  be  able  for 
such  an  operation  as  this.^" 

"  I  have  not  forgotten  that  such  a  machine  would  be 
necessary,"  returned  Ivan,  quietly. 

"  Let  us  suppose,"  continued  the  prince,  "  that  you  do 
succeed  in  getting  a  sufficient  quantity  of  fluid  to  bear 
upon  the  burning  mass.  Don't  you  perceive  that  this 
very  supply  will  develop  a  monstrous  amount  of  gas, 
which  would  permeate  the  pit  from  top  to  bottom,  and 
cause  another  and  still  worse  explosion  ?" 

"  I  have  foreseen  this  danger." 

"And,  finally,  if  you  possess  any  idea,  which  you  evi- 
dently do,  of  the  mechanism  of  machines  and  the  expen- 
diture necessary  to  procure  the  best,  you  must  face  the 
problem  that  a  million  of  money  will  not  be  sufficient  to 
procure  the  necessary  materials  which  would  be  wanting 
to  make  the  experiment  successful." 


424  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"I  have  drawn  up  an  estimate  of  probable  outlay." 

The  shareholders  here  shouted  out  to  him  that  they 
undertook  all  expenses,  even  if  they  amounted  to  a  mill- 
ion,  and  on  the  spot  it  was  agreed  that  Ivan  should  re- 
ceive full  powers  to  do  for  the  Bondavara  mine  what  he 
considered  necessary,  let  the  cost  be  what  it  might. 

Prince  Sondersheim  saw  that  he  could  not  stem  the 
course  of  Ivan's  popularity ;  it  must  have  its  way. 
While  the  assembled  shareholders  were  signing  the 
deed  of  authorization,  he  took  Ivan  aside,  and  said  to 
him: 

"  Ivan  Behrend,  whether  the  undertaking  you  have 
engaged  in  succeeds  or  not — I  do  not  believe  that  it 
will  succeed — you  will  have  taken  out  of  my  pocket  a 
million — a  million  net.  Besides  this,  you  have  squan- 
dered five  hundred  gulden  of  your  own  money,  without 
reckoning  what  is  yet  to  be  spent.  Let  that  be.  You 
have  done  this  by  fixing  the  quotations  at  par.  It  is 
true  that  the  shares  will  neither  be  bought  nor  sold,  for 
both  sides  will  be  afraid,  and  will  hold  back ;  neverthe- 
less, the  quotation  will  stand  at  par,  and  I  am  obliged 
to  pay  the  difference  on  this — that  will  cost  me  a  mill- 
ion. But  that  is  nothing ;  I  have  lost  as  m.uch  before 
now,  and  recovered  it  again.  One  has  only  to  play  the 
waiting  game.  If,  however,  in  a  fortnight's  time  you 
find  that  you  miscalculated  your  powers,  and  that  your 
experiment  fails,  you  have  only  to  let  it  be  known,  and 
I  shall  pay  one  million  into  your  hand." 

Ivan  answered  this  contemptible  proposal  with  busi- 
ness-like composure. 

"Prince  Sondersheim,  the  stock- exchange  is,  as  I 
am  well  aware,  a  privileged  place.  Here  a  man  can  say 
things  without  having  any  fear  of  consequences.  What 
a  man  says  or  does,  what  proposals  he  makes — every- 


AT    PAR  425 

thing  is,  in  a  sense,  allowable,  and  the  ordinary  rules 
which  govern  the  outside  world  do  not  apply.  Here 
one  man  may  ask  the  other,  '  How  much  do  you  ask  for 
selling  the  honor  of  your  company  ?'  and  if  the  answer 
is,  '  It  is  not  for  sale,'  that  is  enough.  Here  there  is 
plain  speaking ;  no  one  is  offended  at  being  asked  to  be 
an  accomplice  in  a  robbery.  It  would  be  no  reflection 
on  his  character ;  he  would  assume  no  airs  of  righteous- 
ness, but  simply  answer, '  I  really  haven't  time.'  If  men 
quarrel,  if  they  spit  at  one  another,  tear  the  hats  off  one 
another's  heads,  that  is  nothing;  it  goes  no  further;  no 
one  turns  round  to  look  at  them.  They  wipe  the  spittle 
off  their  faces,  pick  up  their  hats,  and  after  half  an  hour 
walk  about  arm  in  arm.  No  one  remembers  that  they 
were  fighting  ;  it  was  only  a  little  '  difference,'  which  led 
to  an  animated  scene.  Therefore,  to  the  proposal  made 
by  Sondersheim,  the  Bondavara  coal -merchant,  to  Beh- 
rend,  the  Bondavara  coal-trader,  there  is  but  one  answer, 
*  Sir,  I  cannot  entertain  your  offer.'  Prince  Waldemar 
Sondersheim  will,  however,  do  well  to  remember  not 
to  repeat  outside  the  stock-exchange  such  a  proposal  to 
Ivan  Behrend." 

The  prince  laughed.  "I  guessed  as  much.  I  have 
often  heard  of  you,  and  if  you  behave  well  you  shall 
hear  how  it  came  to  pass  that  I  know  so  much  about 
you.  Once  upon  a  time  you  took  my  part  in  a  very  en- 
ergetic manner ;  and  to  a  very  pretty  woman.  I  do  not 
know  why  you  should  have  done  so ;  it  is  sufficient  for 
me  that  you  did.  Also,  you  withdrew  your  own  claim 
to  the  favor  of  this  very  pretty  woman.  But  it  was  no 
good,  she  is  now  the  wife  of  an  unworthy  fellow;  but 
your  unexplained  intervention  in  my  favor,  which  could 
not  have  been  a  business  manoeuvre,  but  must  have 
sprung  from  almost  a  chivalrous  Puritanism,  has  placed 


426  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

me  under  a  debt  of  gratitude  towards  you.  It  that  lady 
had  Hstened  to  your  advice,  things  would  have  been 
very  different.  No  sulphur  deposit  would  have  been 
found  in  the  castle  lake ;  the  whole  speculation,  in  fact, 
would  have  had  no  existence.  Outside  the  exchange  we 
will  not  recur  to  the  subject.  I  have  mentioned  it  from 
a  sense  of  gratitude,  and  I  shall  note  it  in  my  book.  If 
you  succeed  in  extinguishing  the  fire  you  are  to  receive 
six  hundred  thousand  gulden  from  the  company ;  if  you 
fail  you  shall  have  a  million  from  me." 

This  long  conversation  between  Ivan  and  the  prince 
excited  some  alarm  among  the  shareholders ;  they  tried 
to  interrupt  it. 

"  No  tampering,  prince.  Let  our  man  alone."  They 
were  afraid  he  would  turn  round. 

"Don't  be  afraid,"  returned  the  prince;  "we  are  talk- 
ing of  a  lady  whom  we  both  admired." 

But  the  shareholders'  suspicions  were  not  allayed  by 
these  w^ords.  They  chose  from  among  themselves  a 
commission  of  three  members,  who  should  accompany 
Ivan  in  every  step  he  took,  never  leave  him,  eat  with  him, 
sleep  outside  his  door,  keep  watch  under  his  window,  so 
that  their  enemy  should  not  approach  him  w-ithout  their 
knowledge.  This  was  all  done  under  the  pretence  of 
giving  him  assistance,  and  for  the  purpose  of  keeping 
him  supplied  with  money. 

Ivan  procured  the  necessary  machines  and  workmen, 
and  travelled  back  with  them  and  his  three  companions 
to  Bondavara. 

His  three  commissioners  were  likewise  to  furnish  the 
company  with  a  daily  report  of  the  progress  of  the  work. 
One  of  the  three  was  the  clerk  Spitzhase,  who  had  the 
reputation  of  being  the  most  circumspect,  careful,  and 
impudent  servant  of  the  company.     This  last  epithet  is 


AT   PAR  427 

not  meant  in  the  worst  sense  of  the  word.  In  money 
matters  modesty  and  meekness  are  oftentimes  great 
faults,  and  the  contrary  qualities  are  of  infinite  use. 
The  word  is  therefore  meant  in  praise.  Ivan  many 
times  chucked  Spitzhase  out  at  the  door,  but  the  clerk 
always  returned  by  the  window. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 
THE     UNDERGROUND     WORLD 

The  three  commissioners  for  the  first  fortnight  had 
little  to  say ;  their  report  was  meagre  of  incident. 
Behrend  came  morning  and  evening  to  dine  and  sup 
with  them  in  the  little  village  inn ;  the  rest  of  the  day 
and  of  the  night  he  spent  continuously  underground. 
When  they  asked  him  what  he  was  doing,  he  said,  short- 
ly, that  everything  was  going  on  well. 

Things  might  be  going  well,  but  there  was  nothing 
visible  to  the  commissioners.  And,  moreover,  there 
was  one  very  suspicious  circumstance  which  struck 
Spitzhase  especially,  and  this  was  that  Behrend  spent 
his  time  in  his  oivn  colliery.  It  was  there  that  all  the 
expensive  machines  had  been  set  up  and  all  the  chemi- 
cal stuffs  had  been  taken.  Not  a  single  thing  had  been 
done  to  the  company's  mine;  not  a  bit  of  rubbish  had 
been  cleared  away,  not  one  of  the  entrances  had  been 
opened;  in  fact,  a  fortnight  had  slipped  away,  and  no 
work  had  been  undertaken.  It  was  undoubtedly  true 
that  the  machines  were  always  at  work,  and  cart-loads 
of  clay  and  stones  were  perpetually  being  wheeled  away. 

The  whole  thing  was  incomprehensible,  and  Behrend 
would  not  give  the  slightest  explanation. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  following  week  Spitzhase  lost 
all  patience. 

*'  Sir,"   he    said  to   Ivan,   with   suppressed  irritation, 


THE    UNDERGROUND   WORLD  429 

"you  promised  that  in  a  fortnight  the  conflagration  in 
our  mine  would  be  extinguished.  The  time  is  up,  and 
I  have  not  seen  that  anything  has  been  even  attempted." 

"  That  is  very  probable,"  returned  Ivan,  quietly. 

"  Do  you  maintain  still  that  everything  is  progressing 
satisfactorily  ?" 

"I  do." 

"  Can  I  see  for  myself  what  has  been  done  ?" 

"Where  you  are  standing  it  would  be  impossible  for 
you  to  judge." 

"  Well,  let  me  go  where  I  can  see  something." 

"  Do  you  really  wish  to  go  below.?  It  is  not  a  pleas- 
ant place." 

"  Where  you  go,  so  can  I  ;  for  my  part,  I  don't  care 
if  it  was  hell  itself." 

"  It  is  not  unlike  what  hell  must  be." 

"  Well,  I  am  resolved  to  pay  it  a  visit.  I  want  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  the  devil ;  perhaps  I  could 
make  an  arrangement  with  him  to  supply  us  with  coal." 

"You  may  come  on  one  condition  :  if  you  accompany 
me  you  must  understand  that  I  cannot  let  you  stand 
gaping  about.  There  is  not  room  in  the  place  for  more 
than  two  people,  and  they  must  both  work." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  work.     I  am  the  devil  for  work." 

"Very  good,  then,  come  along,"  said  Ivan;  "and  if 
the  other  gentlemen  w-ould  like  to  accompany  us  to 
where  the  machines  are  working  they  can  follow  us." 

The  others  seized  the  opportunity. 

Ivan  made  them  put  on  miners'  dress.  They  were 
then  hoisted  into  the  crane,  and  descended  into  the 
shaft.  Each  one  had  a  safety-lamp  fastened  to  his  belt 
and  wore  a  thick  felt  hat. 

Ivan  led  them  through  the  different  windings  of  the 
pit  until  they  came  to  the  iron  door  of  the  cavern  in 


430 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


which,  not  long  since,  the  pond  used  periodically  to 
come  and  go.  The  middle  of  this  space  was  now  filled 
by  a  large  mill-like  machine,  which  was  kept  in  motion 
by  an  endless  strap  worked  from  above.  In  this  mill 
some  substance  was  being  ground,  and,  when  reduced 
to  fine  powder,  was  carried,  by  means  of  certain  me- 
chanical contrivances,  through  a  pipe  and  over  abridge, 
where  it  disappeared  from  view. 

Ivan  led  his  guests  through  still  more  tortuous  ways. 
Once  they  descended  the  shaft  of  a  well  •,  once  they 
mounted  high  ladders,  finding  themselves  when  they 
had  done  so  in  a  small  chamber,  not  measuring  six  feet 
in  circumference,  in  which  two  miners  were  waiting — an 
old  and  a  young  man. 

"  Now,"  said  Ivan  to  Spitzhase,  "  here  is  our  dress- 
ing-room ;  we  must  put  on  our  costume." 

"What !  have  we  another  change  of  clothes  ?" 

"Yes,  we  have  to  don  a  coat  of  mail  in  the  tourna- 
ment in  which  we  are  going  to  take  part ;  we  require 
armor." 

At  a  sign  from  him  the  miners  came  forward  and  be- 
gan to  prepare  the  two  gentlemen.  The  equipment  was 
something  similar  to  that  of  a  fireman— a  coat  and 
stockings,  the  outer  stuff  being  made  of  asbestos,  while 
the  space  between  that  and  the  lining  was  filled  with 
pulverized  charcoal  ;  the  hands  and  arms  were  also 
covered  with  long  gloves  made  of  asbestos,  the  fingers 
being  air-proof. 

"We  could  pass  for  knights,"  said  Spitzhase,  jest- 
ingly. 

"  Wait  until  you  see  our  helmets,"  returned  Ivan. 

The  miners  brought  two  helmets  made  of  glass,  each 
of  which  had  a  hollow  space  with  twelve  joints  and 
three  apertures.     Ivan  explained  the  use  of  these. 


THE    UNDERGROUND    WORLD  43 1 

"  The  place  into  which  we  are  about  to  descend  is 
full  of  coal-gas.  We  must  have  an  apparatus  which  will 
enable  us  to  pass  through  fire  and  to  dive  under 
water." 

Spitzhase  began  to  repent  that  he  had  been  so  ven- 
turesome, but  he  was  ashamed  to  turn  back  now,  and  he 
had  a  certain  amount  of  pluck. 

"We  need,"  continued  Ivan,  "an  apparatus  which  is 
a  combination  of  the  diver's  and  the  fireman's  dress. 
To  the  glass  helmet,  which  will  be  attached  to  the  coat- 
collar  by  means  of  air-proof  caoutchouc,  there  will  be 
fastened  two  tubes,  through  one  of  which  the  necessary 
amount  of  air  will  be  conveyed  to  us,  and  through  the 
other  the  bad  air  will  be  expelled.  The  ends  of  both 
the  tubes  will  remain  here,  while  we  drag  them  after  us 
in  the  same  manner  as  does  the  diver.  Although  all 
bad  air  escapes  from  our  helmets,  still  we  shall  find  the 
air  rather  warmer  than  it  is  up  here,  and  it  will  smell 
like  vulcanized  india-rubber;  still  we  cannot  suffocate. 
To  this  third  aperture  an  elastic  tube  will  be  fixed, 
which  unites  both  helmets ;  through  this  tube  each  will 
hear  what  the  other  says,  for  the  glass  is  so  thick  that 
no  sound  penetrates  it,  and  when  you  have  it  on  your 
head  you  will  with  difficulty  hear  what  is  said  by  me." 

Spitzhase  had  begun  to  feel  very  uncomfortable,  for 
now  the  miner  proceeded  to  adjust  the  glass  helmet  to 
his  head.  When  the  tubes  were  being  fixed  into  the 
three  apartures  he  perceived  that  he  had  become  sud- 
denly stone  deaf.  He  saw  the  lips  of  the  two  commis- 
sioners moving,  but  not  one  word  could  he  hear.  He 
no  longer  belonged  to  the  world.  Only  one  sound 
reached  him,  and  that  was  the  voice  of  the  man  to  whose 
head  he  was  fastened. 

"  Take  one  end  of  the  hose  upon  your  arm,"  shouted 


432  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

the  voice  into  his  helmet ;  yet  the  sound  seemed  to  come 
from  a  long  way  off,  or  as  if  out  of  a  tunnel. 

Mechanically  he  took  the  coil  on  his  shoulder. 

"Let  us  go,"  shouted  Ivan,  taking  the  other  end  of 
the  coil  on  his  shoulder,  and,  opening  a  thick  oak  door, 
which  had  hitherto  escaped  Spitzhase's  observation,  they 
passed  through. 

The  two  commissioners  had  heard  nothing  that  had 
passed  between  the  two  "knights";  but  when  they  saw 
the  oak  door  open  they  hurriedly  asked  the  miners  wheth- 
er the  foul  air  did  not  come  in.  The  older  workman  reas- 
sured them  ;  the  carbon  was  much  heavier  than  oxygen, 
and  even  thicker  than  hydrogen.  The  foul  air  remained 
below,  where  the  two  divers  had  gone.  They  might 
have  every  confidence  so  long  as  the  safety -lamps 
burned.  Meantime,  the  others  had  penetrated  into  a 
roomy  cavern,  the  walls  of  which  proved  it  had  not  been 
made  by  the  hands  of  men,  but  was  a  natural  formation. 
Each  partition  of  the  wall  fitted  into  another,  like  the 
blocks  of  a  puzzle,  and  each  block  was  as  smooth  as  a 
steel  mirror.  They  were  masses  of  coal  set  obliquely 
one  upon  another.  The  cavern  was  bridged  over  wnth 
thick,  strong  wooden  planks.  The  gearing  strap,  which 
had  made  its  way  from  the  cavern  in  serpent-like  fash- 
ion, had  set  a  wheel  in  motion,  and  the  noise  of  the 
clapper  resounded  under  the  bridge,  and  made  a  sound 
as  if  it  were  w^orking  in  deep  water.  From  this  bridge 
a  narrow  path  led  obliquely  into  the  stone  layers.  Once 
beyond  the  entrance  into  this  dark  path  the  lamps 
ceased  to  burn;  the  coal-gas  had  begun  its  sway. 
Upon  the  bridge  an  electric  machine  was  placed,  whose 
brilliant  light  was  shaded  by  a  wire  screen. 

The  old  miner  set  the  machine  working,  and  the  light 
flashed  into  every  nook  and  cranny  of  the  subterranean 


THE    UNDERGROUND    WORLD 


433 


cavern.  It  lighted  up  the  narrow  tunnel  which,  for  the 
last  month,  Ivan  had  been  boring  from  his  own  mine  to 
that  of  his  neighbor.  He  had  told  no  one  what  he  had 
been  doing,  but  now  the  work  was  almost  finished  ;  it 
only  required  to  be  broken  through.  This  work,  which 
would  take  another  week  to  complete,  needed  to  be 
done  in  a  diver's  equipment.  The  length  of  the  narrow 
tunnel  was  perfectly  illumined  by  the  electric  machine, 
as  if  in  the  broad  light  of  the  sun.  Where  it  turned  out 
of  its  course  high  looking-glasses  of  polished  steel  were 
placed  in  positions  which  reflected  the  light  itself  until 
it  faded  away  to  a  faint  glimmer.  The  two  divers  could 
now  hardly  discern  an  object. 

"  We  shall  soon  be  in  darkness,"  said  Spitzhase  to 
Ivan. 

"We  shall  have  light  enough,"  returned  Ivan;  and 
he  led  the  way  farther  into  the  tunnel. 

Spitzhase  was  forced  to  follow,  for  his  head  was  fast- 
ened to  Ivan's  head.  Wonderful  pair  of  Siamese  twins ! 
If  the  pipe  that  bound  them  together  were  to  break, 
both  were  dead  men. 

"  Halt !"  cried  Ivan.  "  Here  is  the  pump.  Give  me 
the  pipe." 

In  the  half-darkness  a  little  machine  three  feet  high 
was  discernible;  it  was  provided  with  a  spring  wheel. 
This  suction-pipe  had  been  brought  here  only  the  day 
before.  Ivan  took  the  caoutchouc  coil  from  his  com- 
panion's shoulder,  and  screwed  the  pipe  to  the  aperture 
of  the  machine ;  then  he  set  the  wheel  in  motion,  and 
in  a  few  seconds  it,  with  the  heavy  balls  attached,  was 
revolving  with  velocity.  Then  he  took  the  end  of  the 
pipe  and  gave  the  coil  back  to  Spitzhase  with  this  dif- 
ference: instead  of  putting  it  over  his  arm  he  hung  the 

hose  over  his  neck.     Spitzhase  felt  as  if  the  pipe  were 

28 


434  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

about  a  hundredweight  heavier,  and  that  it  had  grown 
suddenly  stiff. 

"  Forward !  quick  march  !"  shouted  Ivan  into  his  hel- 
met. 

*'  It  begins  to  be  hot  as  hell  itself,"  grumbled  Spitz- 
hase,  who  was  suffering  horribly. 

"  Because  we  are  in  a  part  of  the  mine  where  the  fire 
has  been  put  out." 

Both  the  men  wore  on  their  feet  glass  slippers,  other- 
wise they  would  have  felt  that  the  ashes  through  which 
they  were  wading  were  glowing  with  heat. 

The  india-rubber  hose  hung  round  Spitzhase's  neck. 
It  grew  darker  and  darker,  until  at  last  it  was  as  dark 
as  Erebus. 

"  I  can  see  nothing,"  shouted  Spitzhase. 

"You  are  safe  if  you  follow  me,"  returned  Ivan. 

It  began  to  grow  somewhat  lighter.  The  light,  how- 
ever, was  rose  color ;  there  was  twilight,  then,  in  the 
bowels  of  the  earth. 

Spitzhase  complained  he  could  hardly  draw  his  breath. 

"That  will  get  better  presently,"  said  Ivan,  encourag- 
ing him. 

They  had  now  turned  the  corner  of  the  road,  and  the 
terrible  tragedy  of  hell  itself  lay  before  them.  Yes,  hell 
itself,  was  there.  A  burning  labyrinth,  in  whose  glowing 
passages  the  prismatic  colors  changed  every  moment. 
The  blue -green  flames  leaped  from  the  ground  and 
blended  with  the  flames  of  brilliant  scarlet  which  played 
upon  the  burning  wall,  and  again  faded  in  the  far  dis- 
tance into  a  deep  purple  color.  It  was  like  a  fairy 
transparency  at  a  pantomime.  Through  the  fissures 
and  crevices  sheets  of  white  sun-rays  poured  like  molten 
silver.  Amid  the  glowing  coals  there  seemed  to  rise 
shapes  as  of  demons  dancing,  creatures  with  green  hair 


THE    UNDERGROUND    WORLD 


435 


and  red  beards,  and  from  the  red  sulphate  of  the  vault- 
ing there  fell  slowly  a  golden  shower,  a  melting  rain  of 
sparks.  From  the  clefts  in  the  side  walls  the  gas,  let 
loose  from  all  restraint,  hissed  like  so  many  demoniacal 
serpents,  and  kindled  a  subterranean  flame  of  its  own. 
Out  of  the  depths  of  the  pit  a  waterspout  of  fire  shot 
suddenly,  sending  in  every  direction  a  shower  of  sparks. 
Over  the  whole  floated  a  milk-colored  cloud,  which  filled 
the  vault  with  a  nebulous  vapor,  wandering  as  a  will-o'- 
the-wisp  here  and  there,  and  threatening  every  moment 
to  envelop  the  rash  visitors  to  hell  in  its  chill  embrace. 
Spitzhase,  alarmed  out  of  all  control,  pressed  closer  to 
the  wall ;  fright  was  overcoming  him. 

"  Let  go  the  hose  !"  shouted  Ivan.  The  hose  fell  like 
a  serpent  unchained,  wriggling  backward  and  forward. 
"  Now  follow  me.  Hold  the  pipe  on  your  arm  ;"  and  he 
drew  Spitzhase  after  him. 

He  was  constrained  to  follow,  although  his  heart  was 
in  his  mouth  ;  their  heads  were  fastened  to  each  other. 
If  he  had  had  sufficient  strength  to  free  himself  from  this 
terrible  companionship,  it  would  have  in  no  way  helped 
him,  for  the  carbon  would  have  killed  him  instantane- 
ously. 

Mechanically  he  allowed  himself  to  be  drawn  on. 
Hell  with  all  its  horrors  disclosed  itself  to  his  affrighted 
gaze.  His  companion  seemed  to  fear  nothing.  Was  he 
a  human  being,  or  a  fiend,  who  was  in  reality  possessed 
of  power  over  the  demons  of  hell  ^  He  dragged  him  to 
the  very  border  of  the  fiery  lake  ;  then  he  took  from  his 
shoulder  the  hose,  which  lay  in  rings  and  coils,  and, 
opening  the  mouth  of  the  stop-cock,  directed  its  force  at 
the  bosom  of  hell.  The  hose  shot  forth  a  flash  like  a 
diamond  ;  the  water-spirit  fell  into  the  glowing  Gehenna. 

''  Hold  tight !"  shouted  Ivan. 


436  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

And  from  the  force  which  the  stream  from  the  pipe 
exercised  upon  the  burning  mass  the  air  was  filled  with 
dark  clouds  of  smoke,  which  peopled  the  still  brilliantly- 
lighted  cavern  with  strange,  unearthly,  spectral-like  shad- 
ows, which,  dissolving  suddenly  into  steam,  covered  the 
two  adventurous  visitors  with  a  damp  moisture.  One  of 
them  tottered. 

"Fear  nothing,"  calls  out  the  other;  "we  are  quite 
safe  here." 

"It  is  suffocating;   I  am  burning  !"  cried  Spitzhasc. 

"Do  not  be  afraid;  follow  me,"  said  Ivan,  and  drew 
his  trembling  comrade  after  him  over  the  wet  rocks,  over 
the  charred,  burning  mounds.  Every  spot  where  he  saw 
the  flames  rising  he  directed  the  hose,  and  a  shower  of 
cool,  refreshing  water  fell  from  the  india-rubber  pipe  upon 
the  burning,  seething  demoniacal  flames.  The  gas  hissed, 
the  hot  steam  boiled  round  them,  the  flames,  beaten 
down  in  one  place,  sprang  up  in  another,  but  on  they 
went.  He  was  afraid  of  nothing.  "  Forward  !  go  on  ! 
forward  !"     The  mysterious  clouds  hovered  over  him. 

"  We  are  lost !"  moaned  the  other  poor  mortal,  whose 
fear  began  to  be  uncontrollable.      He  fell  on  his  knees. 

"You  of  little  faith,"  said  the  conqueror  of  hell,  "get 
up.  Let  us  go  back."  And  he  lifted  him  up,  as  the  Re- 
deemer did  Peter  on  the  stormy  Sea  of  Galilee. 

Then  he  rolled  the  hose  once  more  round  his  neck, 
and  took  it  back  to  the  suction-pump.;  this  he  closed, 
and  then  led  his  comrade  again  to  the  little  room  where 
they  had  put  on  their  equipment. 

Spitzhase  sank  back  when  he  reached  this  haven. 
When  his  helmet  was  taken  off  he  panted  like  a  man 
who  was  suffocating  for  want  of  air.  Ivan  looked  at 
him  compassionately. 

The  miners  gave  each  of  them  a  glass  of  fresh  lemon- 


THE   UNDERGROUND   WORLD  437 

ade  to  drink,  and  rubbed  their  temples  with  vinegar. 
They  then  undressed  them  to  the  skin,  put  them  into  a 
tub  of  cold  water,  took  them  out  in  two  seconds,  and 
rubbed  them  with  coarse  towels.  Spitzhase  began  to 
recover  his  senses. 

As  they  put  on  their  usual  clothes  Ivan  said  to  him, 
"  Well,  sir,  how  did  you  like  being  below  ?'' 

Spitzhase  was  no  fool,  but  he  answered,  good-humor- 
edly,  "  I  wouldn't  have  missed  going  down  for  a  hundred 
gulden,  but  I  would  pay  twice  that  sum  rather  than  go 
there  again." 

"  Now  you  know  what  to  write  to  your  board  of  direc- 
tors. Paul,  take  this  gentleman  home.  I  remain  here 
to  continue  the  work." 

Spitzhase  wrote  a  glowing  account  of  what  he  called 
"the  fight  with  the  world  of  spirits"  to  the  Vienna 
papers. 

The  next  day  Ivan  said  to  the  commissioners,  "We 
have  now  laid  pipes  four  inches  in  diameter  to  work 
upon  the  very  heart  of  the  fire.  So  soon  as  I  am  ready 
we  shall  set  the  high-pressure  machine  at  work.  This 
will  empty  in  four  hours  ten  thousand  buckets  of  fluid 
on  the  burning  mass." 

"  The  devil  take  it !"  cried  Spitzhase.  "  Will  this 
farce  never  have  an  end  until  the  escaped  gas  blows  up 
the  colliery,  and  makes  of  it  and  of  us  a  new  Pompeii  ?" 

"  Do  not  be  afraid.  I  have  thought  of  this  danger. 
We  have  taken  care  to  stop  all  the  outlets  to  the  quarry 
gallery  with  sand-bags.  We  have  walled  up  every  pos- 
sible fissure,  crevice,  and  exit.  I'he  entrance  to  the 
well-shaft  has  been  provided  with  a  strong  iron  door, 
over  which  we  have  fastened  a  thick  bed  of  clay.  If, 
therefore,  it  should  happen  that  in  the  gallery,  where 
the   conflagration   is   at   its  worst,  and  where  the  fluid 


438  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

must  be  poured  freely,  the  mass  of  gas  should  develop 
in  such  force  that  it  must  explode,  then  the  iron  door 
will  prove  our  salvation.  It  will  resist  all  attack,  and  the 
force  of  the  gas  will  be  broken." 

The  members  of  the  commission  shook  with  fright. 
Here  was  a  pleasant  prospect !  Ivan,  however,  had  no 
time  to  spare  on  reassuring  them  ;  the  crisis  was  at 
hand,  and  he  had  still  much  to  do.  Prudence,  foresight 
was  necessary.  At  mid-day  he  returned  to  the  quarry 
gallery. 

As  the  clock  struck  twelve  he  gave  the  signal  at  which 
the  large  suction-pump  was  to  be  set  in  motion.  He 
remained  from  this  time  at  his  post,  never  leaving  the 
machine  until  the  work  was  finished.  To  their  honor 
be  it  spoken,  the  three  commissioners  remained  with 
him ;  they  kept  their  places  without  moving,  never 
speaking  a  word.  During  the  awful  time  that  followed 
no  voice  was  heard  but  that  of  Ivan.  Soon  after  the 
signal  was  given  a  rushing  sound  was  heard  under- 
ground, faint  at  first,  but  growing  louder.  It  sounded 
as  if  in  the  distance  water  was  pouring  from  an  open 
sluice. 

At  first  the  machine  was  worked  at  only  half  its 
strength.  After  half  an  hour  or  so  there  mingled  with 
the  rushing  sound  a  great  tumult,  as  if  many  bells  were 
vibrating  in  the  air.  The  noise  did  not  die  away ;  on 
the  contrar}^,  the  vibration  grew  every  moment  stronger. 

The  earth  was  in  labor ;  the  ground  heaved  and 
trembled,  and  those  who  felt  its  throes  trembled  also. 
The  earth's  sufferings  were  shared  by  her  children. 
Only  one  man  was  calm ;  the  master-spirit  was  not 
afraid. 

With  close  attention  Ivan  watched  the  pendulum  and 
the  thermometer  of  the  machine ;  he  marked  the  varia- 


THE    UNDERGROUND    WORLD 


439 


tions  in  the  condition  of  the  barometer,  the  ozonometer, 
and  electrometer,  writing  his  observations  in  his  note- 
book. After  another  hour  he  made  a  sign  to  the  man 
working  the  machine  to  put  on  more  pressure. 

Thereupon  arose  from  below  a  terrible  uproar ;  it  was 
the  battle  of  the  Cyclops.  The  bowels  of  the  earth  sent 
up  a  dull  roar  like  the  rolling  of  thunder  ;  occasionally 
came  a  shock  as  of  an  earthquake.  The  houses  began 
to  rock,  the  tops  of  the  tall  trees  and  the  cross  upon  the 
tower  tottered,  and  its  fall  added  to  the  anxiety  felt  by 
the  entire  valley.  The  underground  fight  grew  every 
moment  fiercer ;  the  giants  joined  issue  with  their  foes. 
They  howled  in  rage  ;  they  put  their  gigantic  shoulders 
together  and  tried  to  upset  the  earth.  To  their  cries 
was  added  the  bellowing  of  the  hurricane  confined  in 
the  cave,  and  the  tumult  was  indescribable. 

The  listeners  to  this  fearful  scene  looked  with  a  stony 
stare  of  horror;  they  were  speechless,  but  their  look 
seemed  to  say,  "What  rash  act  have  you  done?  Are 
you  inciting  the  spirits  who  dwell  under  the  earth  to 
war  against  one  another.-*" 

Ivan  answered  with  another  look  of  calm  superiority. 
"  Fear  nothing ;  I  have  my  foot  upon  the  head  of  the 
giant." 

The  underground  battle  had  lasted  three  hours.  The 
people  were  beside  themselves  with  fright;  they  turned 
upon  Ivan  and  cursed  him. 

"  Do  you  think  you  are  a  God,"  they  cried,  "  and  can 
create  an  earthquake  ?" 

Ivan  paid  no  attention  either  to  their  fears  or  their 
curses;  he  gave  another  signal  to  the  men  at  the  ma- 
chine— 

"With  the  whole  power!" 

The  machine,  the  outcome  of  the  wonderful  inventive 


440  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

genius  of  man,  stormed  the  very  gates  of  hell  itself. 
The  underground  tremblings  followed  one  another  rap- 
idly, growing  stronger  and  stronger ;  the  deep  groaning 
rose  to  a  stentorian,  deafening  roar. 

"  It  is  all  over !"  shrieked  the  people  in  the  valley, 
and  fell  upon  their  knees. 

In  the  air  a  shrill,  whistling  sound  was  now  heard,  as 
if  an  engine  had  suddenly  let  off  steam,  and  out  of  the 
shaft  of  the  company's  mine  there  arose  rapidly  a  white 
column  of  steam,  which,  as  soon  as  it  encountered  the 
cold  regions  of  space,  shot  up  into  the  sky,  where  it 
formed  itself  into  a  white  cloud,  which  cloud  suddenly 
broke  into  a  deluge  of  rain.  At  once  the  underground 
convulsion  ceased,  and  the  shrill  whistling  died  away  in 
the  distance. 

Ivan,  looking  round,  said,  quickly,  "  Paul,  collect  the 
rain-water ;  I  must  know  what  it  is  made  of."  Upon 
this  he  gave  the  machinist  the  signal  to  stop  the  ma- 
chine. There  was  not  even  a  drop  of  perspiration  upon 
his  forehead.  He  took  the  bottle  of  rain-water  that  Paul 
brought  him  and  put  it  in  his  pocket.  "  Now,  gentle- 
men," he  said,  "you  can  go  to  supper.  The  work  is 
accomplished." 

"Is  the  fire  extinguished?"  asked  Spitzhase. 

"  Absolutely." 

"  And  the  pillar  of  steam  yonder  .?" 

"  Will  remain  in  the  sky  until  midnight  and  then 
slowly  damp  aw-ay.  Go  to  supper.  I  have  something 
of  importance  to  do  at  home." 

Who  cared  to  eat  supper .'' 

The  pillar  of  steam  still  continued  to  rise  from  the 
shaft,  and  to  form  a  cloud  from  which  a  steady  down- 
pour of  rain  fell  continuously,  occasionally  interspersed 
by  flashes  of  lightning ;  but  no  one  thought  of  going  in- 


THE    UNDERGROUND    WORLD  44I 

doors.  The  richer  members  of  society  wrapped  them- 
selves in  mackintoshes,  the  workmen  in  their  cloaks,  and 
all  continued  to  watch  the  strange  appearance,  until  at 
last,  towards  ten  o'clock,  it  began  to  grow  smaller.  The 
whistling  sound  was  interrupted  now  and  again  by  a 
piercing  shriek,  and  sometimes  a  flash  of  lightning  illu- 
mined the  shadow  of  the  pillar — the  white  cloud. 

The  steam  giant  then  sank  back ;  not  all  at  once,  but 
by  degrees,  into  the  pit  from  which  it  had  arisen.  Only 
occasionally,  from  time  to  time,  its  head  reappeared  for 
a  second,  but  the  whistling  ceased  altogether ;  so,  too, 
did  the  heaving  of  the  earth.  The  unearthly  tumult  was 
silenced.  In  the  church  the  sound  of  the  organ  was 
heard,  and  voices  intoning  "Alleluia !  Alleluia!"  The 
people  walked  in  procession,  carrying  lanterns  and  ban- 
ners. 

The  commissioners  made  their  way  to  the  inn,  where 
they  found  Ivan  eating  his  supper.  He  could  eat  now ; 
it  struck  him  that  he  was  mortal  and  wanted  food. 

"I  have  finished  the  chemical  examination,"  he  said 
to  the  other  three  with  polite  indifference,  "and  I  can 
give  you  the  satisfactory  news  that  in  the  residue  0.75 
of  carbonic  acid  is  to  be  found." 

Spitzhase  did  not  understand.  "What  good  is  it,"  he 
asked,  "  if  seventy-five  parts  of  carbonic  acid  are  in  the 
residuum  ?" 

"  To-morrow  we  can  open  both  entrances  to  the  col- 
liery, and  after  the  air-pumps  have  been  settled  the  work 
can  be  resumed." 

Alleluia !  Alleluia  1 


CHAPTER   XL 
ANGELA    IS    EVEN    WITH   IVAN 

Success  brings  with  it  fame,  fortune,  and  universal 
esteem.     Men  worship  success,  and  with  justice. 

He  who  has  saved  a  great  treasure,  who  has  restored 
to  thousands  of  people  their  country,  their  industry;  he 
who  has  overcome  a  universal  calamity  which  threatened 
an  entire  province;  he  who  has  given  to  thousands  on 
the  verge  of  beggary  their  livelihood,  who  has  dried  the 
tears  of  the  widow  and  the  orphan — he  is  near  to  God 
himself. 

Honors  and  rewards  were  showered  upon  Ivan.  The 
government  gave  him  for  all  time  the  patent  for  his  dis- 
covery. By  the  Joint- Stock  Mining  Company  he  was 
handsomely  remunerated.  A  monster  deputation  obliged 
him  to  accept  the  place  of  director.  Scientific  societies 
at  home  and  abroad  elected  him  member.  His  picture 
and  biography  appeared  in  all  the  illustrated  papers  of 
Europe  and  America.  The  simple  villagers  in  Bonda- 
thal  prayed  for  him  night  and  morning  ;  and  when  the 
first  train  steamed  out  of  the  Bondavara  station,  the 
locomotive  bore  the  name  of  "  Behrend."  It  was  only 
God's  providence  that  preserved  him  from  receiving 
"  an  order." 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  testimony,  and  the  one 
most  valued  by  Ivan,  was  a  letter  which  the  Countess 
Angela  wrote  to  him  with  her  own  hand. 


ANGELA    IS    EVEN    WITH    IVAN  443 

The  countess  told  him  frankly  all  that  had  happened 
to  her  since  they  had  met ;  how  she  had  married  the 
Marquis  Salista ;  how  unhappy  he  had  made  her  by 
the  pressure  he  brought  to  bear  upon  her  grandfather, 
Prince  Theobald,  which  ended  in  his  property  being  se- 
questrated, to  the  ruin  of  the  whole  family  of  Bonda- 
vary.  She  had  suffered  greatly  in  consequence,  and 
had  known  what  privation  meant;  also  the  income  of 
the  Countess  Theudelinde  had  been  considerably  di- 
minished, and  the  old  lady  had  been  forced  to  reduce  her 
household.  This  condition  of  affairs  had  shown  them 
their  former  friends  in  their  true  light — among  others, 
Salista,  her  husband,  who  had  gone  to  Mexico,  and  left 
her  to  shift  for  herself.  Then  Ivan  had  come  to  the 
rescue.  Prince  Waldemar's  triumphal  progress  had  been 
effectually  checked.  The  million  of  money  placed  by 
Prince  Theobald  in  the  Bondavara  Company  had  re- 
gained its  value.  The  prince  had  arranged  with  his 
creditors,  and  his  affairs  were  once  more  settled.  She 
bad  been  reconciled  to  him,  and  lived  with  him. 
Countess  Theudelinde  likewise  had  recovered  her  rents. 
The  great  family  of  Bondavary,  which  had  been  so  near 
ruin,  was  reinstated  in  its  former  position.  And  for  its 
new  lease  of  life  it  had  to  thank  a  certain  beneficent, 
clever — 

Here  Countess  Angela's  letter  broke  off.  There  was, 
however,  a  postscript : 

"Answer  this  letter.  I  beg  for  one  word.  Write  'I 
forgive  you.' " 

Ivan  answered  her  immediately.  He  expressed  his 
gratitude  for  her  kind  remembrance  of  him,  but  he 
could  not  imagine  what  he  had  to  forgive.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  had  a  lively  recollection  of  the  many  kindnesses 
he  had  received  from  the  Countess  Angela  Salista. 


444  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

The  letter  was  evidently  written  with  an  effort  to  be 
cold  and  polite.  It  was  followed  by  a  second  letter  from 
Angela,  which  ran  thus : 

"  Do  not  answer  me  in  that  way.  I  have  sinned  against 
you.  You  do  not  reproach  me,  but  my  own  heart  and 
conscience  do.  To  quiet  these  tormentors  I  need  your 
pardon.  Answer  me  sincerely.  Can  you  ever  forgive 
me  ?     I  should  not  have  treated  you  as  I  did — " 

Ivan  answered  this  by  a  long,  confidential  letter.  He 
confessed  to  her  secrets  of  his  heart,  made  to  her  con- 
fessions which  never  before  passed  his  lips.  The  count- 
ess might  be  confident  that  she  had  never  offended 
him.  She  had  never  forfeited  the  place  she  held  in  his 
respect." 

A  third  letter  came  from  Angela. 

"  If  you  can  do  so  from  your  heart,  write  upon  a  piece 
of  paper,  'Angela  Bondavary,  I  forgive  you,  from  my 
heart.' " 

Ivan  wrote  these  words  and  nothing  else. 

One  evening  two  carriages  drove  into  the  court-yard 
of  Ivan's  house.  He  lived  now  in  the  handsome  resi- 
dence provided  by  the  company  for  the  director  of  the 
mines.  The  porter  exchanged  some  words  with  the  per- 
son who  sat  in  the  first  carriage,  and  then  came  to  Ivan 
with  two  visiting-cards. 

Ivan,  to  his  surprise,  read  the  names — 

Countess   Theudellnde  Bondavary. 
Countess  Angela  Bondavary. 

These  names  caused  a  great  disturbance  in  Ivan's 
mind.  What  did  they  want  ?  Why  did  they  come  to 
him  ?     He  told  the  porter  to  show  the  ladies  in,  and  then, 


ANGELA    IS    EVEN    WITH    IVAN  445 

taking  up  the  cards  again,  it  struck  him  as  odd  that  the 
Countess  Angela  s  did  not  bear  the  name  of  her  husband. 

The  door  opened,  and  only  one  lady  entered.  She 
was  dressed  in  mourning,  and  her  face  was  covered  by  a 
thick  veil,  the  thick  crape  concealing  her  features.  It 
was  the  Countess  Theudelinde.  She  had  on  a  long 
black  travelling-cloak  with  two  capes.  She  came  to 
Ivan  and  held  out  to  him  the  finger-tips  of  her  black 
glove,  which  he  carried  to  his  lips,  while  she  murmured 
some  words  of  greeting. 

"  Where  is  the  marquise  ?"  asked  Ivan,  anxiously. 

"  She  will  be  here  immediately  ;  but  it  is  very  difficult 
to  bring  her  in." 

Ivan  conducted  the  lady  to  a  sofa  and  asked  her  to  be 
seated. 

"  Do  not  go  to  meet  her,"  continued  the  countess. 
"  She  will  find  her  way.  You  will  receive  her  kindly, 
won't  you  ?" 

"Oh,  countess,"  Ivan  began;  but  Theudelinde  inter- 
rupted impatiently. 

"  No  phrases,  please.  We  have  not  come  here  for 
polite  words  or  to  exchange  compliments.  We  come  to 
make  a  request ;  the  answer  is  simple.  Yes  or  no. 
Angela  wants  to  remain  here." 

"  Here  !''  repeated  Ivan,  horrified, 

"  Yes,  here  !  Do  not  be  afraid  ;  not  in  this  house, 
but  in  the  neighborhood.  She  wishes  to  remain  near 
you — never  to  leave  you — that  is  her  desire ;  and  she 
has  a  right  to  have  her  wishes  granted." 

Ivan  began  to  think  he  must  be  dreaming;  he  did 
not  know  what  to  say,  but  his  thoughts  were  distracted 
by  a  strange  noise  outside.  Along  the  passage  came 
the  heavy  tread  of  several  men.  The  door  opened  and 
four  miners  came  in,  carrying  between   them  a  metal 


44^  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

coffin,  on  the  lid  of  which  lay  a  white  wreath  of  repousse 
silver. 

The  wreath  surrounded  the  arms  of  the  Bondavary 
family,  and  underneath  was  carved  in  gold  letters — 

Angela  Bondavary. 

The  coffin  was  placed  upon  the  oak  table.  Ivan 
stood  as  if  he  were  turned  into  a  statue,  his  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  wreath  and  the  name  underneath. 

Theudelinde  got  up  and  seized  his  hand,  saying,  in  a 
low,  agitated  voice : 

"  This  is  the  Countess  Angela  Bondavary,  who  begs 
of  you,  as  the  master  here  in  Bondavara,  to  find  for  her 
a  small  place  in  the  family  vault  of  the  castle,  where  she 
may  lie  among  her  own  people,  waiting  for  the  coming 
of  Jesus  Christ  —  the  Bridegroom  of  all  poor  women 
whose  lives  have  been  desolated." 

"How  is  it  possible  that  she  is  dead.'*"  said  Ivan, 
who  was  deeply  moved. 

"How?  Very  easily!  When  you  throw  a  rose  into 
the  lire,  in  two  minutes  you  will  only  find  its  ashes.  I 
had  just  heard  her  laugh ;  she  was  quite  gay.  Then  she 
went  too  near  the  stove  ;  the  next  moment  she  screamed, 
and  I  saw  her  enveloped  in  flames  !" 

"  She  was  burned  to  death  !"  cried  Ivan,  covering  his 
face  with  his  hands.  Then,  after  a  pause,  "  Was  there 
no  one  near  to  save  her .''" 

"Was  there  no  one  ?"  answered  Theudelinde.  "  Were 
you,  then,  asleep  at  midnight  ?  Did  you  not  hear  her 
call,  '  Ivan,  help  me  !'  t  Did  you  not  see  her  standing 
beside  your  bed  in  flames — an  angel  with  hell  in  her 
heart  ?  Why  were  you  not  by  her  side  to  hold  her  in 
your  arms,  to  stifle  the  flames,  to  snatch  her  from  the 
jaws    of   death  ?      Where  were    you,  who  should  have 


ANGELA    IS    EVEN    WITH    IVAN  447 

saved  her  ?  Now  she  is  here,  and  says  to  you,  '  I  am 
2[one.     I  am  no  one.     Let  us  be  united.'  " 

Ivan  felt  as  if  an  iron  band  had  been  laid  upon  his  heart. 

"She  lived,"  continued  Theudelinde,  "for  two  days. 
She  suffered  the  most  terrible  pain.  When  I  think  of 
all  she  went  through  I  feel  as  if  my  senses  were  leaving 
me.  To  the  last  she  was  conscious.  She  spoke —  But 
no — why  should  I  tell  you  what  she  said .?  Just  before 
she  died  she  asked  for  a  pencil,  and  wrote  a  few  words 
to  you.  Here  they  are  in  this  envelope.  Do  not  break 
the  seal,  do  not  read  them,  so  long  as  I  am  here.  I 
would  rather  give  you  no  explanation.  If  you  have  any- 
thing to  ask,  ask  it  from  her.  Here  is  the  key  of  the  cof- 
fin ;  I  give  it  to  you." 

Ivan  recoiled  from  receiving  such  a  present. 

"  Why  should  you  be  afraid  ?  Why  do  you  object  to 
opening  the  coffin  ?  There  is  nothing  to  fear.  The 
body  is  embalmed,  and  the  flames  did  not  touch  her 
face.     You  will  see  that  she  smiles." 

Ivan  forced  himself  to  raise  the  coffin-lid  and  to  look 
on  the  face  of  the  dead.  There  was  no  smile  on  her 
lips.  She  was  calm  and  cold;  as  when  she  lay  insensi- 
ble in  the  wood,  with  her  head  upon  a  cushion  of  moss, 
so  now  she  lay  upon  her  white  satin  cushion.  Ivan  felt 
that  if  she  could  open  her  eyes  for  one  minute  she 
would  look  at  him  proudly  and  say,  "  I  want  nothing," 
and  close  them  again.  How  beautiful  she  was,  with  her 
still,  marble  face,  her  immovable  eyebrows.  Ivan  would 
not  disturb  its  calm  loveliness  by  even  one  kiss.  He 
would  have  felt  it  to  be  dishonorable,  and  yet,  if  she 
could  have  come  to  life  again,  who  knows —  ?  As  on 
the  day  when  he  had  closed  her  dress  with  his  breast- 
pin, so  now  he  shrouded  her  secret  with  the  coffin-lid. 
Her  secret  was  safe  with  him. 


448  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

"  Keep  the  key,"  said  Theudelinde.  "  The  coffin,  its 
key,  and  the  treasure  it  holds  are  yours ;  that  is  settled. 
You  are  the  master  of  the  vault;  it  is  your  duty  to  take 
her  there.     You  cannot  escape  it." 

With  eyes  that  were  hot  and  tearless,  Theudelinde 
looked  through  her  veil  at  Ivan.  He  returned  the 
glance.  If  either  had  shed  a  tear,  or  even  let  a  sob  es- 
cape, both  would  have  burst  into  passionate  weep- 
ing, for  grief  is  infectious  ;  but  each  one  of  them 
was  resolved  to  show  mental  strength  in  the  presence 
of  the  other.  They  could  even  command  their  emo- 
tions. 

"  Do  you  undertake  the  duty  ?" 

Ivan  bowed  his  head, 

"  Then  you  will  perform  it  alone.  Alive  I  shall  never 
enter  the  family  vault.     You  know  why." 

Both  were  silent.     Then  Theudelinde  burst  out : 

"  Why  was  I  not  left  in  my  castle  ?  Why  was  I  unde- 
ceived when  I  imagined  that  my  ancestors  visited  me  ? 
If  I  had  not  been  shaken  in  my  delusions  I  should 
still  have  been  happy.  I  should  never  have  gone  into 
the  world,  where  I  have  only  found  misery;  Angela 
would  not  have  come  to  me;  my  brother  Theobald 
would  not  have  been  ruined;  hell  would  not  have 
been  let  loose  in  the  Bondavara  mines ;  I  should  have 
never  known  you;  all  —  all  would  have  been  differ- 
ent !"  Then,  after  a  pause,  she  went  on  :  "  There  is  no 
need  of  a  clergyman  ;  there  is  no  need  of  any  ceremony. 
You  can  say  some  prayers.  You  are  a  Protestant — so 
was  Angela.  She  became  one  that  she  might  get  a  sep- 
aration from  her  unworthy  husband.  Let  them  carry 
the  coffin  quietly  and  reverently  to  the  family  vault. 
There  I  shall  leave  you  and  it,  for  I  shall  not  go  inside 
—never,  until  I  am  dead.     You  will  put  the  coffin  in  its 


ANGELA    IS    EVEN    WITH    IVAN  449 

place,  and  then  I  return  whence  I  came,  where  I  am 
wanted  by  no  one." 

Ivan  called  the  miners  to  take  the  coffin  again  upon 
their  shoulders,  and  told  them  to  carry  it  through  the 
vestibule  to  the  private  door  which  led  into  the  park. 
The  park  separated  the  director's  house  from  the  castle. 
As  they  walked  through  the  winding  paths  of  the 
park  the  trees  shed  their  golden  leaves  upon  the  coffin 
and  the  titmice  in  the  brushwood  chanted  the  dir^-e. 

Ivan  walked  bareheaded   behind   the  coffin,  and  be- 
hind him  came  Countess  Theudelinde. 

When  they  reached  the  entrance  of  the  vault  Ivan 
told  the  bearers  to  put  the  coffin  down,  and,  kneeling 
down  beside  it,  he  remained  for  a  long  time  praying. 
God  hears  us  if  we  speak  to  Him  in  a  whisper ;  nay,  He 
hears  us,  even  although  we  do  not  speak,  but  feel. 
Theudelinde  bent  over  Ivan  and  kissed  his  forehead. 
"  I  thank  you.  You  walked  behind  her  with  your 
head  uncovered.  Now  she  is  all  yours."  Then  she  re- 
turned by  the  winding  path,  as  if  she  were  afraid  that 
Ivan  would  make  her  take  away  what  she  had  brought. 

Ivan  placed  the  coffin  in  its  resting-place  and  sent 
away  the  bearers  ;  then  he  remained  for  many  hours 
beside  it.  By  the  light  of  the  torches  he  read  Angela's 
last  words  to  him — 

"  For  whom  shall  I  wait  on  the  shore  of  the  new 
world  r 

Ivan  sighed  deeply.  "Who  will  wait  for  me  on  the 
shore  of  the  new^  world  .?" 

Then  he  made  his  way  back  to  the  house.  There  was 
no  trace  of  either  the  countess's  travelling  carriage  or 
Angela's  hearse. 

29 


CHAPTER  XLI 
now    IVAN    MOURNED 

They  were  both  gone,  the  high  -  born  lady  and  the 
peasant  girl— gone  where  there  is  no  sorrow  and  no 
more  sin.  One  had  lost  her  life  by  charcoal,  the  other 
by  fire — two  vengeful  spirits. 

Ivan  thought  of  both  with  bitter  regret.  He  felt  now 
that  he  was  alone  in  the  world.  He  would  have  given 
all  the  fame  he  had  acquired,  the  money  he  had  earned, 
the  good  he  had  done,  to  have  been  able  to  save  even 
one  of  these  women.  He  mourned  for  them  not  in 
black,  not  with  crape  on  his  hat.  What  good  are  these 
signs  of  grief  ? 

The  European  mourns  in  black,  the  Chinese  in  yel- 
low, the  Mussulman  in  green  ;  in  the  classical  age  they 
mourned  in  white  ;  the  former  generation  of  Hungarians 
in  violet;  the  Jews  in  rags;  the  philosopher  in  his  heart. 
The  wise  man   never  shares  his  grief,  but  he  does  his 

joys. 

Meantime,  in  the  Bondavara  Valley  there  reigned 
peace  and  plenty;  where  there  had  been  a  half-savage 
race  there  was  a  happy  people.  The  worst  characters 
had  settled  down,  morality  had  grown  popular. 

Ivan  sent  the  young  men  at  his  own  expense  to  fac- 
tories abroad,  where  they  learned  the  arts  of  civiliza- 
tion. He  brought  wood-carvers  from  Switzerland  and 
lace-workers  from  Holstein  to  teach  their  trades  to  the 


HOW    IVAN    MOURNED  45 1 

women  and  children,  so  that  they  might  unite  artistic 
hibor  with  increase  of  wages.  For  a  population  where 
every  one,  big  and  little,  works  either  from  necessity 
or  for  amusement — a  people  who  look  upon  work  as 
pleasure  and  who  feel  it  no  privation  to  be  employed — 
such  a  people  are  ennobled  by  their  toil. 

Ivan  looked  after  the  schools.  He  emancipated  the 
national  teachers  from  the  misery  of  their  national 
tyrants;  he  rewarded  the  student  with  scholarships,  the 
school-boy  with  useful  prizes  ;  in  every  parish  he  estab- 
lished a  library  and  reading-room.  He  accustomed  the 
people  to  put  by  the  pence  they  could  spare  ;  he  taught 
them  how  to  help  one  another;  he  established  in  Bon- 
davara  a  savings-bank  and  a  hospital. 

His  own  colliery  was  a  model.  The  miners  and  him- 
self were  the  joint  owners,  and  shared  the  profit.  Who- 
ever was  taken  on  in  this  colliery  should  pass  an  exam- 
ination and  work  one  year  on  trial.  This  rule  applied 
to  women  and  men  alike.  This  trial  year  was  not  easy. 
particularly  for  the  girls. 

Nowhere  was  a  girl  so  looked  after;  not  in  her 
mother's  house  or  in  a  convent  or  state  institution  was 
there  more  particularity  as  to  manners  and  morals  than 
in  Ivan  Behrend's  colliery.  Every  word,  every  act  was 
watched.  If  anyone  failed  to  be  up  to  the  mark  during 
his  year  of  probation,  no  one  taunted  him,  nor  was  he 
despised.  He  was  simply  told  to  go  and  work  in  the 
company's  colliery,  where  there  was  better  pay ;  and  the 
workman  or  workwoman  imagined  this  was  an  advance, 
not  a  degradation.  In  the  company's  colliery  there  was 
certainly  more  freedom,  the  rules  being  less  strict. 

If,  however,  at  the  end  of  the  trial  year  the  applicant 
had  fulfilled  all  requirements,  he  or  she  was  received 
into  the  colony  and  became  a  shareholder,  so  far  as  the 


452 


BLACK    DIAMONDS 


profit  was  in  question.  Besides  this,  a  prize  for  virtue 
was  given  once  a  year,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  great 
pit-burning,  to  the  most  modest,  well-conducted  girl  in 
the  colony. 

Ivan  spent  on  this  prize  fifty  ducats,  and  the  miners 
on  their  side  promised  the  winner  a  handsome  wedding 
present. 

It  was,  of  course,  an  understood  thing  that  no  one 
went  in  for  the  prize.  No  one  knew  who  was  likely  to 
get  it.     The  elders  took  notes  ;  it  was  their  secret. 

The  giving  of  this  prize  was  not  to  be  attended  with 
any  ceremonial.  It  would  take  place  on  an  ordinary 
working  day,  when  all  the  miners  would  have  picks  and 
shovels  in  their  hands,  so  that  every  one  could  see  that 
the  reward  was  not  for  a  pretty  face,  but  for  a  good 
heart  and  industrious  fingers.  It  was  to  be  a  day  of 
general  rejoicing. 

This  was  how  Ivan  mourned. 


CHAPTER    XLTI 
EViLA 

It  was  the  anniversary  of  the  great  pit  fire.  Old  Paul 
had  gone  to  look  for  Ivan  at  his  house  in  the  principal 
colony,  but  Ivan  had  aheady  started  for  the  smaller 
colliery.  He  saw  Paul  on  the  road,  and,  stopping  his" 
carriage,  took  the  miner  up. 

"This  day  last  year  was  a  memorable  day,"  said  Paul. 

"  I  recollect  it  well,"  returned  Ivan  ;  "  but  to-day  we 
have  to  give  the  prize  for  virtue.  Have  the  jury  settled 
to  whom  it  is  to  be  given  .^'' 

"  They  are  agreed.  A  girl  who  has  been  little  less  than 
a  year  in  the  colliery." 

"And  she  has  fulfilled  all  conditions?" 

"In  everyway.  The  child  is  most  industrious.  She 
is  every  morning  the  first  to  come  and  the  last  to  leave. 
She  never  complains  of  the  work,  as  many  of  them  do  ;  she 
treats  it  as  if  it  were  a  pleasure  to  her.  If  her  wheelbar- 
row is  overloaded,  she  encourages  the  digger  to  put  on 
still  more;  then  she  runs  away  gayly  with  her  burden, 
and  com.es  back  singing  as  if  siie  had  been  amusing  her- 
self. At  the  end  of  the  recreation  she  drives  the  other 
girls  back  to  their  work." 

"  Is  she  vain?" 

"No;  she  wears  the  same  holiday  clothes  in  which 
she  was  dressed  when  she  came  a  year  ago;  naturally 
they  are  not  quite  as  fresh  as  they  were.    She  has  a  little 


454  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

string  of  beads  round  her  throat,  and  in  her  hair  a  narrow 
ribbon.  At  night  she  washes  her  clothes  in  the  stream, 
for  she  has  one  peculiarity — she  wears  fresh  linen  every 
day;  but  she  makes  it  up  herself,  so  she  alone  has  the 
trouble/' 

"  Is  she  saving  ?'' 

"  She  has  more  in  our  savings-bank  than  any  one  of 
the  girls.  She  would  have  still  more,  only  that  on  Sun- 
days she  gives  a  whole  day's  wages  to  the  beggar  who 
sits  at  the  church  door." 

"  Does  she  go  to  church  regularly?" 

"Every  Sunday  she  comes  with  us,  but  she  never 
sits  with  the  other  girls  ;  she  kneels  before  a  side-altar, 
covers  her  face  with  her  hands,  and  prays  all  through 
mass." 

"  Is  she  good-tempered  ?" 

'"She  has  offended  no  one  and  has  never  been  angry. 
Once  a  woman  said  something  very  offensive  to  her,  for 
which  we  gave  her  a  heavy  fine.  The  woman  was  ready 
to  pay  it,  but  the  girl  denied  that  she  had  been  offended. 
Soon  after  the  woman  got  ill;  she  had  no  one  to  nurse 
her,  because  she  is  a  solitary  widow,  and  this  girl  nursed 
her  every  night,  and  fetched  the  medicine  from  the 
apothecary  for  her." 

"Do  you  think  she  is  a  hypocrite?" 

"  She  is  too  merry  for  that,  and  ready  for  a  joke. 
Hypocrites  are  gloomy  folk.  Our  people  would  soon  find 
her  out  if  she  wasn't  on  the  square;  but  she  is  a  prime 
favorite  with  every  one.  We  don't  choose  our  words  ex- 
actly, but  we  can  make  a  fair  guess  at  the  girl  who  respects 
herself.  We  like  one  that  gives  a  good  box  on  the  ear  to 
a  fellow  who  would  make  too  free.  Sharp  with  the 
hand,  but  soft  with  her  tongue  ;  that's  our  sort.  And 
still,  sometimes  I  have  watched  her  when   she   was  in 


EVILA  455 

quite  another  mood;  for  instance,  on  Sunday  afternoons, 
when  we  sit  under  the  mulberry-trees,  they  all  get  round 
me  and  make  me  tell  them — God  knows  how  often  ! — 
the  story  of  how  you  carried  the  pipe  of  the  air-pump 
into  the  gallery  of  the  Bondavara  mine,  and  how  we  all 
thought  you  were  a  dead  man.  Women  and  children 
hold  their  breath  while  I  tell  it.  I  believe  I  do  tell  that 
story  well,  for  they  know  it  by  heart,  and  yet  they  can- 
not but  listen.  They  take  it  in  different  ways  ;  but  this 
girl,  I  have  noticed  her,  she  covers  up  her  face  and  cries 
the  whole  time." 

"  And  is  she  a  modest  girl  ?'' 

^'To  ascertain  this  point  we  had  to  call  a  jury  of  mar- 
ried women.  They  couldn't  bring  forward  a  single 
char^xe  asfainst  her.  Then  we  jrot  the  girls  together,  and 
we  pressed  them  very  close,  if  there  was  anything  with 
the  young  men,  but  ihey  all  said — no.  And  there  was 
no  need  for  them  to  deny,  for  a  peasant  girl  is  fitly  mated 
with  a  miner,  and  if  he  wants  her  he  can  have  her." 

They  had  now  reached  the  collier}^  and  went  into  the 
station-house,  which  stood  at  the  corner  of  the  branch 
railroad.  There  was  now  another  line,  which  ran  under- 
ground and  connected  the  two  collieries.  Here  Ivan 
found  a  great  many  of  the  miners.  He  sent  for  the  rest, 
and  told  them  work  was  over  for  the  day.  Men  and 
women  assembled  by  degrees,  and  only  one  group  of 
girls  still  remained  working.  These  had  agreed  not  to 
leave  off  until  they  had  driven  their  load  of  coals  to  the 
coal-hill,  which  lay  between  the  entrance  to  the  quarry 
gallery  and  the  station-house  where  Ivan  sat  waiting. 
He  could  not  see  the  girls  ;  he  could  only  hear  their 
clear  voices  as  they  called  to  one  another  to  make  haste 
and  get  the  work  finished, 
^ome  one  began  to  sing.     The  melody  was  familiar 


456  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

to  Ivan — one  of  those  sad  Slav  airs  in  which  the  sinjrer 
seems  on  the  brink  of  tears  •,  and  the  voice  was  sweet 
and  tuneful  as  a  bell,  full,  too,  of  feeling. 

"Say  when  I  smootlied  thy  hair, 
Showed  I  not  tender  care  ? 
Say  when  I  dressed  my  child, 
Was  I  not  fond  and  mild  ?" 

Ivan's  face  clouded.  "Why  do  they  sing  that  air? 
Why  should  it  be  on  the  lips  of  any  one  ?  Why  not  let 
it  fall  into  oblivion  ?" 

"The  girl  is  coming,"  said  old  Paul.  "I  hear  her 
singing;  she  is  now  coming  down  the  hill  with  her 
wheelbarrow." 

The  next  moment  the  girl  appeared  upon  the  summit 
of  the  coal-hill.  With  a  run  she  had  shoved  her  wheel- 
barrow forward  and  emptied  the  contents  with  extraor- 
dinary dexterity  ;  the  big  lumps  of  coal  rolled  down  the 
hill.  She  was  a  young,  well-developed  girl  in  a  blue 
jacket  and  a  short  petticoat ;  but  this  red  petticoat  was 
not  tucked  up — it  fell  over  her  ankles,  and  only  showed 
her  feet.  The  colored  handkerchief  on  her  head  had 
fallen  backward,  and  the  rich  plaits  wound  round  her 
small  head  could  be  seen.  Her  face  was  smudged  wnth 
coal-dust  and  was  beaming  with  good-humor — earthly 
dirt,  supernatural  glory.  But  what  the  coal-dust  could 
not  conceal  were  the  two  large  black  eyes  shining  like 
two  brilliants — the  darkness  illumined  by  dazzling  stars. 

The  girl  stood  immovable  on  the  summit  of  the  coal- 
hill,  then  looked  down  with  some  surprise  on  the  crowd 
gathered  in  and  around  the  station-house. 

The  next  moment  Ivan  was  beside  her.  In  his  joy 
he  had  made  one  bound  from  the  station-house  across 
the  rails  and  had  rushed  up  the  coal-hill. 


EVILA  457 

"  Eveline  !"  he  cried,  clasping  the  girl's  hand  in  his. 

She  shook  her  head,  smiling  at  him.  "  No,  sir,"  she 
said,  "  Evila." 

"  You  here  !     You  have  come  back  here  !" 

"  I  have  been  in  your  collier\%  sir,  for  a  year,  and  if 
you  will  keep  me  on  I  should  like  to  stay." 

"  You  shall  stay  only  on  one  condition  —  as  my 
wife,"  cried  Ivan,  pressing  her  hand  to  his  heart. 

All  who  were  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  saw  this  action  ; 
they  could  almost  hear  his  w^ords. 

Evila  shook  her  head  and  drew  away  her  hand. 
"  No,  no.  Allow  me  to  be  your  servant,  a  maid  in  your 
house,  the  maid  of  your  wife.  I  shall  be  quite  happy ; 
I  expect  nothing  more." 

"  But  I  wish  it.  You  have  come  back  to  me  ;  you  are 
mine.  How  could  you  be  so  cruel  as  to  be  a  year  so 
near  me  and  never  to  tell  me  .'*" 

"  Oh,  sir,  you  cannot  raise  me  to  your  position  !"  said 
Evila,  with  a  sad  yet  dignified  expression.  "If  you 
knew  all  you  would  never  forgive  me." 

"  I  know  everything,  and  forgive  everything." 

These  words  proved  that  Ivan  knew  nothing.  If  he 
had  known  the  truth  he  would  have  been  aware  there 
was  absolutely  nothing  to  forgive.  As  it  was,  he 
pressed  his  young  love  close  to  his  heart,  while  she 
murmured  : 

"  You  may  forgive  me,  but  the  world  will  never  par- 
don yoji.'''' 

"The  world  !"  cried  Ivan,  raising  his  head  proudly. 
"My  world  is  here'''' — laying  his  hand  on  his  breast. 
"  The  world  !  Look  round  you  from  this  hill.  Every- 
thing that  lives  in  this  valley  owes  its  breath  to  me; 
every  blade  of  grass  has  to  thank  vie  that  it  is  now 
green.     Hill  and  valley  know  that,  under   God,  I  have 


458  BLACK    DIAMONDS 

saved  them  from  destruction.  I  have  acquired  a  million, 
and  I  have  not  despoiled  any  one.  With  every  penny  I 
receive  a  blessing.  In  the  palace  of  the  prince  and  in 
the  cottage  of  the  widow  I  have  dried  the  tears  of 
despair;  I  have  delivered  my  enemies  from  a  living 
grave,  and  I  have  saved  their  wives  and  children  from 
the  misfortune  of  being  widows  and  orphans.  My  name 
is  spoken  of  with  admiration  all  over  the  globe,  and  yet 
I  have  hid  myself  here^  not  to  be  troubled  with  their 
praises ;  I  do  not  care  for  praise.  The  most  lovely  of 
women  has  smiled  on  me  and  loved  me,  but  she  was  not 
of  my  world.  She  is  dead,  and  the  key  of  her  coffin  is 
a  perpetual  reminder  to  me  that  her  world  has  passed 
away.  My  world  is  within  me,  and  into  that  inner 
world  of  mine  no  one  has  ever  entered,  no  one  will 
ever  ^\\\itx^  but  yojL !  Speak,  Evila  ;  answer  me.  Will 
you  try  to  love  me.^" 

The  girl's  eyes  sank  before  the  ardent  gaze  of  her 
lover.  Many  men  had  made  love  to  her,  but  none  like 
this  man,  whose  face  shone  like  Jupiter's  when,  \\'\\\\  a 
look,  he  killed  Semele. 

"  Oh,  sir,"  she  murmured,  "  if  I  do  not  die  I  shall  love 
you  always  ;  but  my  mind  misgives  me  that  I  shall  die." 

As  she  spoke  she  fell  back  fainting,  her  brilliant  color 
faded  to  a  waxen  pallor,  the  flashing  eyes  closed;  her 
body,  which  a  moment  before  was  like  a  blooming  rose, 
was  now  as  lifeless  as  a  withered  leaf. 

Ivan  held  her  motionless  form  in  his  arms.  11ie 
woman  whom  he  had  so  loved,  for  whom  he  had  suffered 
so  much,  was  his,  just  as  her  pulse  ceased  to  beat,  just 
as  she  had  said,  "  I  shall  love  you  always,  but  I  know 
that  I  shall  die." 

But  she  did  not  die. 


CHAPTER    XLIII 
THE    DIAMOND    REMAINED    ALWAYS    A    DIAMOND 


THE  END 


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